


Back to Zero

by UlbertSnow



Category: Danganronpa-All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 | Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Archive Warnings Currently Apply, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Development, Character trauma, Don’t need to know Re:Zero to read it, Execution, F/M, Filling Gaps in Canon, Fluff, Major V3 Spoilers, More tags to be added, Time Loop
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:55:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 24
Words: 92,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26365303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UlbertSnow/pseuds/UlbertSnow
Summary: Upon making a mistake, Shuichi’s life is put to an end. However, he finds that there it still much to do after death, and that nothing ever works the first time.How will the dead cope with being kept alive? how will the living come to terms with the fact that their time was up sooner than expected? If the killing game never starts, how are they supposed to take it seriously?Or, this is an AU where Shuichi has Return By Death——————This humble project of mine has evolved into a slight retelling of the canon storyline, rather than just a simple what-if. Contains a mix of dark and fluffy moments here and there.Progress: Onward to Chapter 3! (Currently ongoing)
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Saihara Shuichi, Maki Harukawa/Kaito Momota
Comments: 32
Kudos: 198
Collections: Time Travel and World Travel





	1. Prologue: Loading

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Important Notice
> 
> Hello There! Thanks for coming in to check out my story! I really appreciate it!
> 
> I wanted to write a quick trigger warning here for those who may be sensitive to violence (Though the rating goes without saying) and topics relating to death. Because the story is based on the atmosphere of Re:Zero, it will naturally touch on some similar scenes when it comes to gore, so I ask you to keep that in mind while reading it. 
> 
> That being said....Enjoy!

Decisions. 

Life is composed of an abundance of decisions. Governed by the conscious or unconscious. It is the road which leads to the end. 

Death is the absence of choice. Ruled by silence and apathy. It is the end itself. Nothing awaits those who walk towards it, yet all individuals are fated to reach such a hopeless state. 

Whether positive or negative, the prevailing consequences of decisions are everlasting. 

All roads lead to the end. This time was no different. The students of the Ultimate Academy had been forced to acknowledge such a philosophy with their own two eyes.

A lone student, Kaede Akamatsu, stood in silence as she regretted her failure. She couldn’t possibly blame Shuichi for it, as this was her own plan, yet the chill that went through her spine only made her that much more uncomfortable.

Looking for a place to aim her gaze, she looked at the detective with the eyes of a guilty victim.

“I’m sorry, Shuichi. I know you trusted in me, and yet….”

Kaede lamented that things had come to this. Yet it wasn’t a mistake. Fate never makes mistales, it is simply the “result” of an “action”. All individuals follow different roads, diverging into infinite dead ends. This time, was no different. 

Voting Time was over. 

The candidate for blackened was Shuichi. Naturally, because of his involvement in the events that took place, it was impossible for him to prove his innocence if Kaede didn’t lend him a hand.

But Kaede herself had underestimated her capability to convince the majority of her classmates of the argument she provided: One which put Shuichi as the suspect again. 

Thus, the group reached the unanimous decision to vote for Shuichi, with only Kaede, Kaito and Tenko being in disagreement other than the former. 

“Congratulations to the culprit! They’ve managed to deceive their classmates and escape alive! Now, as for the losers over here…..”

Monokuma danced over to his throne, laughing to himself.

Kaito was still hung on the trial that had just happened, not wanting to process the fact that it just ended 

“This isn’t right! I saw Shuichi coming down before we went to the library! He had no time to kill Rantaro!” Kaito shouted

“You want to believe that, but you’re not sure of it yourself, are you?” Monokuma said in a provoking tone

As they were arguing with one another, everyone could hear the faint sounds of the Exisals moving into the courtroom. Kaito was furious at the thought of having to doubt his own faith. 

In an instant, they towered over the group, blocking the exits.

“Now then, it’s due time for our Punishment Time! I’ve been waiting a long time for this!” Monokuma said, striking a red button with his gavel

Shuichi rushed over to Kaede’s podium, but she was too shocked to move from her spot. 

“You didn’t do it. Right, Kaede? Just tell Monokuma you’re innocent and we’ll—-“ Shuichi said, but was suddenly interrupted by Kaede 

“No, Shuichi. It’s fine. I don’t want you to keep suffering for my sake” Kaede said, shaking her head in disagreement

Metallic chains began to appear, grabbing each one of them by the neck and pulling them away from the room. Shuichi couldn’t bear to look at her, instead covering his head with his own hat. 

“I’m sorry, Kaede. I know you wanted me to protect you from losing the trial, but....”

Shuichi said with regret. He knew that Kaede wasn’t going to get out of that trial alive even if she was the blackened.

As they talked, the amount of students drastically decreased. Soon, it would be their turn. But Kaede decided to take it in stride, teasing Shuichi by taking his hat away and putting it on. 

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll be seeing each other again, remember?” Kaede said, attempting to force a smile

She chuckled to herself as she said that, barely being able to hold a cracked smile through her tense mood. It was impossible to believe that a week had passed by so quickly, and for it to be their last one alive. 

Shuichi couldn’t grasp the meaning of her words, but it didn’t matter anymore. The metallic chain grabbed at his neck while he struggled, but his effort was useless, as he too was taken away into the air. 

The last thing he saw before vanishing was Kaede reaching for his hand, and him failing to grab it. 

Due to the shock, Shuichi took time to process what was happening: He was in a room that resembled a crime scene, with the victim’s white layout labeled ‘Saihara’. 

There was a knock on the door. Then another, then another, then another, then another, then another, each one being successively faster in rhythm.

Shuichi desperately tried to look for a way out. There were notes in a table, but they all had ‘CULPRIT” and “KILLER” scribbled all over them. It was all a pointless ploy to keep him occupied while anxiety crept into his mind.

Soon enough, a monokuma clone dashed into the room carrying a dagger, and Shuichi was helpless to stop it as he came closer and closer….

His thigh was stabbed once, and he screamed out in pain. The swift strikes and the imposing face of a Monokuma clone peered over him. He tried to fend him off by taking the knife away, but his arm was the next victim, recieving a slice sharp enough to cut through it.

Shuichi fell down from the pain and grasped his bloodied arm in terror. The motions only increased in intensity as the Monokuma aimed for his other arm. Indescribable pain surged through his body. Shuichi tried to look away as his leg was about to be sliced as well. 

The floor was covered with his blood, and was slowly pouring out. It was difficult to keep his focus in such a tense scenario, and his vision was starting to shake as he reached out to nowhere.

Shuichi closed his eyes in anticipation, awaiting the beginning of the end…..

The world went black. His consciousness had left this world permanently.

(.......)

Shuichi was standing outside the bathroom in his room. He tried to clutch his chest in search of injuries, but could not find any. The pain from the event had remained, which gave it a sense of reality, but it was still too much to grasp. 

Ding. Ding. 

He’s heard this before. It was just a few hours ago, when Kaede had visited him to plan the scheme in the library. The two had spent a week together by now, so becoming partners was a logical step. 

Still, it was a confusing thought. Perhaps he had simply been having waking nightmares during the day? Shuichi didn’t know.

All he could do was open the door in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I finally got back into fanfic-making after an (admittedly long) hiatus. Partially because I had free time. 
> 
> The other one being that Re:Zero’s second season was starting to release, and I felt like writing something in reference to it. Though it does have its differences. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 1: Memories

**Chapter 1: Trial of the Ultimate Academy**

“Geez! Finally, you came out! You had me nervous for a second!” Kaede said. She was standing right outside, waiting for him. 

Kaede’s greeting was met with a wave of confusion from Shuichi. 

“Huh? Shuichi? Are you spacing out?” Kaede said with a worried tone

“O-Oh. No, no it’s nothing. I was just worried about the time limit” Shuichi said, while letting his hands wander here and there, nervous about her reaction. 

“That’s right. The timer is supposed to end today, doesn’t it?” She said 

“Wait a second, the timer is still going?” Shuichi said

But that couldn’t be possible, because to Shuichi, the Killing Game itself had ended a few moments ago. In fact, this entire scene was feeling more unnatural the more it progressed. 

“Of course it is. I don’t think Monokuma would stop it just because we said so” Kaede clarified

“You have a point. I must’ve been acting strange when I—“ Shuichi said. He had wanted to continue, but stopped himself. Why, he didn’t know.

“Anyway, we have to get the cameras from Miu, remember?” Kaede said

If that had been just a dream, then he had to do things in the real world properly. That’s right, the anticipation of the timer had made him dream about how the Killing Game would end.

Shuichi nodded, and Kaede decided to head towards the Dining Hall. It was still bizzare, though, for such a strange dream to recreate those conversations so perfectly. 

But despite everything, Shuichi instinctually went to meet Miu in her Research Lab. Just like Kaede had done just before, he was the one knocking on Miu’s door. She violently opened it, being angry at my tardiness. 

“It’s you again! And that cow of yours didn’t fuckin’ bother to come, huh?!” Miu shouted right at Shuichi’s face, it was deafening.

These past few days, she had been someone difficult to interact with. It took pleading and begging for her to even agree to it, and Shuichi couldn’t deny that she was a good inventor despite the flaws in her character. 

“I-I’m here to pick up the cameras...” Shuichi said

Without looking at Shuichi, she went inside her Research Lab again. After a minute of awkward silence, she came out with two green cameras, equipped with the sensors. 

“You better take care of them, or I’ll be fixing you next” Miu said as a threat

“I’ll do just that, thank you..” Shuichi said as composed as he could. 

He turned away from her lab with uncomfortable steps. Without Kaede around, keeping control of Miu’s antics was a difficult task, which he couldn’t help but be railed in by. 

Next was the classroom. They had arranged to meet together after investigating, in order to start their secret scheme in the library. None of the others were aware of it, as far as he knew, so the chances of it being sabotaged were low. 

Kaede hadn’t arrived yet, so Shuichi couldn’t help but wonder if something happened. It had been the same amount of “time” that he had waited as before, so it didn’t bother him much, but still.... 

“Sorry I’m late!” Kaede said, while entering through the classroom’s door. She closed the door shut behind her, but not before peering out to see if anyone was eavesdropping on their conversation. 

This entire setup. With each passing minute, it felt more and more familiar, with the pieces falling into each slot without having to move them. The puzzle completed on its own, the final picture already memorized. 

And yet, it was just a dream. And that’s all it would be. He knew her far too well already, even for a week’s time. It wasn’t weird to reason that he’d know this part of her schedule. 

“Are you paying attention?” Kaede said. She had been inspecting the vent, making gestures because of the horrible smell. To get away from it, she stood up and faced him. 

“O-Of course I am. I just wanted to see if someone else was trying to come here” Shuichi said, excusing himself.

“If you say so…” Kaede said

It wasn’t just in the beginning, or with Miu either, he was somehow capable of predicting what they would do and the things they would say. It became increasingly harder for him to follow a conversation that he was already aware of. 

Soon enough, they found themselves in the library, ready to install the cameras. This process became much smoother after he made sure to specifically point out where the best blind spots would be. Kaede climbed the stairs in order to reach for the vent with her hands and suddenly noticed the situation she was in. It was an embarassing predicament for her, to be honest, but it was also a chance to lighten the mood with a simple joke. 

“By the way, can you see my—“ Kaede said 

But Shuichi had stopped standing next to her, and was instead inspecting the Mastermind’s Hidden Door. Embarrassed from having mentioned it, Kaede kept her comment to herself, blushing. 

Seeing that Kaede suddenly fell silent, Shuichi tried to get her busy. That wasn’t all there was to it, however, because even if the similarities were flawless, some things just couldn’t stay the same no matter what. 

“You were going to organize the books on the shelf, right?” Shuichi said

“Umm….Shuichi?” Kaede asked

“What is it?” Shuichi said 

“How did you know that I was going to suggest that? Are you a mind reader?” Kaede asked, this time with a thin veil of sarcasm behind her words

He didn’t know what to say to that. Pin-point accurate dreams are as rare as they come, and it wasn’t something he could just explain without sounding as though he’s losing his marbles. 

Mind-reading wasn’t a possibility he could consider as probable, since this particular phenomenon extended to predicting events and speech patterns as well. He figured it wasn’t as simple as Kaede had suggested, but maybe they were putting too much thought into his stress-induced nightmares, after all....

“I-It was just a deduction, I’m sure I can’t read minds” Shuichi said

Kaede laughed at Shuichi’s remark. It was clear that she was just teasing him. Seeing him brighten up, Kaede started to line up the books on top of the shelf. Soon enough, they took the shape that Shuichi had seen them in. 

The plan was complete. The cameras were positioned where they should be. It was at this moment that an uncomfortable feeling started to make its way into Shuichi’s consciousness. 

“Hey, Kaede. Maybe we should get to the classroom right now” Shuichi said

“Oh, I get it. It’s so the Mastermind has more time to appear, isn’t it?” Kaede wondered

“If we stay here, they won't be as confident” Shuichi said

And so they did. Shuichi and Kaede were in the classroom once more. The time for conversation came once again, but Shuichi had a different idea. 

“Actually, I wanted to know about your talent. Why did you become a pianist?” Shuichi asked

“Because it made people happy” Kaede

“Huh?” Shuichi said, amused by her answer

“Yes. The melodies I like to play make you feel many emotions. I’m not the type that likes to see others being all gloomy” Kaede said

“I see...So it’s something you’ve been doing for a while now” Shuichi noted

“The first piece I played was “Der Flohwalzer”. All my friends were there to see it, even my whole family, too. I was so happy about it, I just couldn’t stop after that. Of course, I also know “Claire de Lune”, but it’s a more personal one” Kaede said

It was reminiscent of Shuichi’s own childhood, though from an outsider’s perspective. His parents had been the ones sharing the spotlight in front of hundreds of fanatics, while he mostly stuck to his own tasks. 

No matter how frustrating it had felt before, seeing their families was something that all of them needed. Monokuma wanted them to become desperate, and he wasn’t going to imagine that, not ever. 

“Once we get out of here, do you want to play it?” Shuichi asked 

“Of course I want to, but we need to focus on the plan first” Kaede said

Twice in a row, that same feeling came back, except stronger in nature. Many images came flooding back to Shuichi. It’s as if that entire time, he had been pretending, in a trance-like state. 

Rantaro’s Corpse.

The investigation.

A trial that never reached its proper conclusion. Rather, all of them had “died” that day, but Shuichi had refused to believe it. That is, until now. 

Shuichi immediately got up from the chair and started to walk towards the exit. 

“Shuichi? Where are you going? The receiver hasn’t sounded yet-“ Kaede said

From the entrance to the classroom, he glanced at Kaede with a reassuring expression. He couldn’t have her worry over something like that, especially since she had helped so much with the preparations. Any extra work would just be a burden.

It was time for him to return the favor. 

“I’m going to find out who killed Rantaro” Shuichi said confidently

He rushed into the hallway, without looking back, and headed straight towards the library. Tenko and Kaito hadn’t arrived yet. It was early enough.

With no hesitation, he opened the door to the library. The Hidden Door was closed, but Shuichi kept wondering if his timing was really as right as he thought. 

Shuichi approached the corner where Rantaro’s corpse had been, but found it empty. He was relieved by the fact that Rantaro had not died yet. However, at that moment….

CLICK!

The camera’s flash manifested in Shuichi’s vision, catching him by surprise. He rubbed his eyes in order to see better, but as he did so, there was a footstep, and then two, and several followed it. 

Shuichi’s heart was racing. He was sure that whoever was right behind him was the Mastermind, but did he really want to look? What if they were someone who he didn’t want it to be—?

As if on cue, he was hit on the head with an extremely durable object, making him collapse to the ground. His head vibrated into itself as it was essentially split into two, his eyes now firmly set on his current field of vision. He couldn’t see who they were. He could not even process what had just ocurred, even if he himself had deducted as much before this point, that the mastermind would be there to face him. The world rumbled on and on, blood spilling onto the floor from his head. The sudden obscurity of the library did not provide him any comfort as he found himself unable to see anything clearly. Despite all this, Shuichi saw the following.

Rantaro, about to enter the Library, staring in complete shock at his fallen body, and the argument between Kaito, Tenko and Kaede, which was happening right beyond the entrance to the library. 

After a few seconds, Shuichi stopped thinking altogether. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took quite a while to get right. Juggling various ideas around is part of what helped me finish it, however.
> 
> PD: Forgot to mention this, but this story was partially inspired by “Reaching” by kokichiouma! Go check them out if you have the chance.


	3. Chapter 1: Desperate Freedom

Shuichi was standing outside the bathroom in his room. This time, his reaction was much stronger, and he clutched his head from the remaining pain left by the blow he had received. Just like before, the situation repeated itself exactly like he saw it. 

Ding. Ding. 

Shuichi chose not to answer. It was too much to process. He tried rubbing his eyes once more, thinking that it was just a post-mortem hallucination, but nothing changed. There was still a shred of denial in him. 

If it wasn’t a dream, then what else could it be? He had a hard time grasping the fact that he was not only alive, but back in a place he didn’t remember going back to. Monokuma was intent on having one of them killed, surely he wasn’ t directly involved in this, so who is?

The more he thought about it, the more his head hurt. It was a painful sensation that his brain recalled as if it was basic muscle memory.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

He had to answer. He just had to. Shuichi was lucky that his time to go had come now, and not later, because if he felt as though a pit was forming in his stomach, and jumping to conclusions by his lonesome wasn’t helping. 

Shuichi opened the door. Kaede rushed to greet him with an anxious expression as she held the door open so he wouldn’t close it again.

“Shuichi! Did something happen? Why didn’t you answer?” Kaede said with a worried tone.

Kaede was back here, again. And she had been waiting for him outside his room, again. The very thought of this pattern not being a coincidence scared him, as it was a reminder of what he had experienced so far. 

He couldn’t come to blame her for that, but it was starting to bother him to a rather frightening degree.

In response, Shuichi closed the door as fast as he could, not letting her in. There was silence, which comforted him, but then the insistence continued.

Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. 

Shuichi was left with no choice but to listen to Kaede’s insistent words. As he opened the door, she clutched his arm and dragged him outside of his room. 

“You better explain what’s going on” Kaede said with a half-serious, half-angry tone. 

Unlike before, she was much more stern and direct in her words. He didn’t think he’d get to see this side of Kaede more than once, at the very least.

“Before I do that...” Shuichi said, glancing to the sides of the room “Is the timer still ongoing?”

“Of course it’s ongoing, Shuichi” Kaede said. She was more confused than furious about it, taken aback by his questioning “And that’s why we’re going to the library, and that’s also why I came here just now. Wasn’t this your idea?”

Alright. This marked the second time that Kaede had made such a claim. Unless this was some sort of “trick” he was being subjected to, there was no need to cast doubt in her words.

Still, to think that she had watched Kaede be taken away by those chains, and then abandon her in the classroom....Yes, the classroom. The place they made a promise to each other, a gentle reminder...

As much as he cherished that encounter, it would need to stop being a possibillity. Because twice now had their plans been ruined by the Mastermind, he was sure of it. If they made a move, the Mastermind would either stop themselves and wait for someone else to do it, or commit murder personally. 

If they didn’t...Well, he wasn’t very sure of what would happen, but throwing a wrench in their plans could surely mess with Monokuma as well.

“Nevermind. You didn’t forget about meeting up with her, right?” Kaede asked, noting that he was averting his gaze “But why are you looking that way? Did something happen? I’m serious about this...”

Her expression became upset as Shuichi wasn’t responding, which he acknowledged by easing her worries.

“I-I’m sorry, I was just thinking that we should cancel the plan in the library” Shuichi clarified

“Huh? Why?l” Kaede said, shocked at his suggestion

“The Mastermind knows what we’re doing there. If we try to act, they’ll try to commit murder themselves” Shuichi said. Such a dismissive mention made him feel nauseous. 

“But that’s the point, right? To catch them in the act, I mean” Kaede said

“Even if we try to do that, there’s no way to tell if the Mastermind would go down without a fight” Shuichi said

”If that’s true, then I suppose you’re right, let’s put off the plan for later” Kaede said 

Shuichi didn’t know what to think. Was the Mastermind really that intent on setting up a trap? Then there was the matter of the First Blood Perk as well....They were up against not one, but two dangerous Motives for murder... “I’m going to end the killing game” It was a vague memory, one that blended in alongside the others due to its vagueness and insignificance, and yet Shuichi was aware of who had uttered that phrase. The amnesiac, lacking a proper identity to recognize themselves with, most likely had a proper idea as to how to unravel this situation. He had been present moments after he was struck, so he knew for a fact that they would be present there, somehow. 

“Rantaro, we need to talk to him” Shuichi said

“Him? But he has amnesia, so it’s not like we can get much information from talking” Kaede said

“We have to start somewhere, and I feel that he can help us even with missing memories” Shuichi said

“But what kind of information would he give us? Shouldn’t he be the most clueless person in our entire group?” Kaede asked

“I....” Shuichi said “...Have a feeling that he’s hiding something. Rather, it would be more accurate to say that he can’t say it, for some reason...”

And they were about to find out just what kind of information he could be keeping secret. 

“Well then, let’s head to the Dining Hall!” Kaede said confidently, pumping herself up “He’ll definetly be there! I’m sure of it!”

With new options open to them, it was time to set things right, to the way they should be.

Rantaro himself was in the Dining Hall alongside Kirumi, Korekiyo and Angie. Ryoma was just leaving the Dining Hall, and the former seemed relieved that their “discussion” had succeeded. 

“Geez, that Ryoma….I hope I helped him calm down a little” Rantaro said

The atmosphere in the room was less than pleasant. There was a need to avoid comversation as much as possible, in fact. Kaede discreetly approached Rantaro, which made him raise an eyebrow at her behavior.

“Can you talk to us for a second?” Kaede asked

“Hmm....? It is quite concerning that you’re calling out to him at this time of day...” Korekiyo said

With his back against the wall and his arms crossed, he observed them from across the room, their conversation within earshot. 

“For once, I agree. I’m not sure this is the best time to be speaking to me right now” Rantaro said 

“Eeh? Isn’t this the best time to—-“ Kaede said

“We wanted to talk about the hidden door” Shuichi said

Her words were interjected by those of Shuichi himself, who wanted to get his point across as soon as possible. Rantaro closed his eyes as he thought about a possible response to their argument. What did they know, and why were they rushing to speak with him about it?

“Let’s go outside. Our discussion would just disturb everyone else as they plan ahead” Rantaro finally affirmed

Kaede nodded, with Shuichi following close behind. The two of them were speaking consecutively with Rantaro, but she was the unspoken figurehead behind this operation, as they trusted her the most out of everyone. For some reason, Rantaro seemed wary of the two. Maybe it was his careful posture —sometimes looking over his shoulder as they walked ahead— or the fact that they’d been sent to speak somewhere else.

After various uncomfortable steps, they arrived at the outsides of the academy, in the Courtyard. The dome encasing its structure loomed above them as a constant threat, even if in truth it remained completely immobile. It was the difference between certain escape and certain death, of course.

“Well? What was it you wanted to ask me about?” Rantaro asked 

“I’ll get right to the point: Why do you need to go to the library?” Shuichi said

Rantaro did not expect Shuichi to have a response with such foresight. It’s like he somehow knew something further ahead than even himself. Kaede was also surprised, since she thought Shuichi was bluffing. 

“So you did know about that...What a surprise, I didn’t think Kaito would speak about it this early” Rantaro said

“What does Kaito have to do with this?” Kaede asked

“I’m assuming you heard it from him, but since yesterday he’s been gathering a team to “Beat up Monokuma”. If you want to know more, go meet him in the Game Room” Rantaro said, not paying much mind to the two. 

Kaito had indeed mentioned an operation like that in the first sequence of events. It brought back memories of everything that came afterwards as well, like the subsequent investigation, the seatch for a suspect, and finally, the long-awaited——

No, he needed to keep the conversation going. He was aware that Rantaro was trying to distract him, but didn’t know what reason he could have for doing so.

“But why are you dodging my question? I want to know why you needed to go to the library” Shuichi said

“This again….” Rantaro said, slightly annoyed. “It was just a hunch, I didn’t think it would lead anywhere, since our escape plan was more important”

“So that’s how you plan to end the Killing Game? Changing your plan to match Kaito’s instead?” Shuichi inquired 

Yes, by having everyone leave the Academy instead of chasing the Mastermind. It’s risky, but it can work out” Rantaro said

Shuichi couldn’t confirm whether his words were honest or not. Compared to Kokichi, who was at least playful in the few interactions he had with him, Rantaro proved to be doing it with a different approach in mind.

“

“In that case, can we join you? We’d like to help as much as we can” Kaede asked 

“K-Kaede…Shouldn’t we ask for more details?” Shuichi asked nervously.

“Shh—-This is the perfect opportunity for us to interrogate Rantaro again. If he refuses, he’ll just keep it to himself” Kaede got closer to his ear and whispered to him, but he had a feeling that their onlooker could tell what was being said. 

“What’s your answer?” Rantaro asked

“We’re going!” Shuichi and Kaede said in unison, the former being moreso goaded into agreeing by Kaede, though he was also interested in where this could lead

As they waited for the preparations to be complete, Shuichi arrived at the library once more. He inspected the door to the Mastermind’s lair, and found that it was the same as he had left it. 

After a few minutes, Kaede arrived, having looked for him all over. 

“I know what I said earlier, but are you sure you don’t want to continue with our plan?” Kaede asked 

“If all else fails, we can just return here again once we come back” Shuichi said

“Would the Mastermind still go to the library again, if they knew we would go back?” Kaede asked

“Don’t worry about it, with the way things are going, I’m sure the mastermind has no reason to attack us now” Shuichi said

“We’ll save everyone together, okay?” Kaede asked 

Shuichi, seeing Kaede’s happiness, nodded in agreement. 

It was a certainty that he had been attacked from behind by someone, most likely to be the Mastermind. Though he couldn’t identify who they were, or predict their pattern of appearance, it seemed as though they needed to wait for the timer to end before making a move.

It didn’t take long for everyone to be reunited in the courtyard. However, Ryoma, K1-B0 and Kokichi were absent from the group. Tsumugi seemed desperate about wanting to go to the bathroom.

Shuichi didn’t have much time to pay attention to the background, since someone else had been pissed about something. And that’s when he realized

“I forgot to take the cameras from Miu!” Shuichi thought, yet it was such an embarrassing mistake that he couldn’t help but whisper it to himself

“Of course you did, you sack of shit! All that work for the sensors and you just decide to ‘cancel it’?! Stupid asshole!” Miu yelled

Miu started shaking Shuichi by his shoulders with a furious expression. He couldn’t blame her for being so mad, since that was his own proposal. He fell down from the push, and Miu started to laugh at him, having calmed down.

“Serves you right!” Miu said with a mocking tone.

Noticing the commotion, Kaito stepped in the center of the group. 

“Anyway, I know some of you already guessed what the plan was about, but I’ll say it one more time: We’ll attempt to escape through the underground tunnel again” Kaito said

Angie raised her hand with a curious smile.

“Atua suggests that we choose someone to be in front of the group” She said

“That’ll be me. Rantaro, Kirumi and Maki will help with that, since they came up with everything else” Kaito said

The next one to intervene was Tsumugi

“This is embarrassing to say, but can I please take a bathroom break? I can’t resist!” She said, while her face made it look much more urgent than it had any right to be.

No one chose to answer. There was muffled laughter, probably coming from Kaede.

This was their chance. It was reliable, planned out in advance, and done with absolute secrecy. The only thing standing in their way was their stamina and resistance, but they were willing to put it behind in order to live. It was a wish shared by all of them, though their inner desires manifested in different ways. That was just a facet of being human. 

“If no one has any more objections, then let’s get going” Rantaro said

——————————

The way down was much more tense this time, as Shuichi looked around for any threats that may arise, yet nothing appeared. Everyone was already familiar with the outline of the tunnel, so they didn’t hesitate as much. 

Shuichi took one last glance at the entrance of the tunnel, before following the group, which was advancing towards the exit, however far away it may be. 

Despite being the “leader”, Kaito was getting farther and farther away with each sprint he took. The lack of obstacles or enemies made even Gonta lose his nerves. 

But Shuichi couldn’t calm down. Not for a second. Several minutes passed, and eventually they arrived at the point where they gave up, except being much more confident in being able to escape. 

Unfortunately, Kaito was nowhere to be seen. Feeling uneasy, Rantaro stopped moving. He looked behind him with confusion

“Any ideas as for what to do? We need to find Kaito as soon as possible” Rantaro said

“Well, if the cameras are going nowhere, I decided to use them myself” Miu said 

She unfolded a small piece of machinery that she was holding, and revealed it to be a pink drone with a camera attached to it. It was the same one that Shuichi and Kaede had given to Miu.

Miu took out a remote controller from her chest, and began piloting the drone remotely, making it fly around everyone. 

“How does it look? Huh? You’re not going to match my genius in a lifetime!” Miu said, proud of herself. 

Shuichi got closer to Miu’s remote, and saw a small screen with the footage on it. He wondered how she was even capable of making such a complex design in just a day, but concluded that maybe Miu had the blueprints for it since her lab opened. 

The drone flew away from the group, and the whirring sounds it made started to dissipate. The screen showed nothing of note, simply the path ahead. 

They followed slowly in order to keep the drone in the controller’s range. It was convenient for Miu to build objects like these on the fly, especially in a situation where they needed to keep their guard up. “Ahhh...This tunnel is starting to feel like a labyrinth....Are we close to the end?” Tenko said as she narrowed her eyes in concern “The structure of the tunnel doesn’t seem to be that complicated...” Rantaro said, though there was an odd feeling that he couldn’t let slip away. “Even so...Even so, it keeps on going, as though there was no end in sight” “Don’t be so dramatic” Maki spoke up, walking beside him “We’ll get there eventually, at any moment” “How can you expect me to stay calm in a place like this? Kaito’s nowhere to be seen, too....Did he leave us behind?” Tenko asked It was true that Kaito was nowhere to be seen in Miu’s pink drone. Its pace was significantly slower due to her adjusting its movements in accordance with the setup of the tunnel, yet it was starting to concern even Tenko that he hadn’t shown up at all. “No, I trust in what Kaito said. He wouldn’t leave us behind just like that...” Shuichi said “I’m not entirely convinced of that theory myself, but....Where would Kaito actually be? If he really did run farther than the drone could reach, then it’s likely that he’s reached the exit already” “So he’s waiting for us on the other side? I didn’t know he was that fast!” Angie said in surprise “That’s Kaito for you. He’s the kind of person who does everything himself....” Kaede said In the distance, from a corner that couldn’t have possible been heard by anyone, but by those in the very front of the group, there was a booming noise which exploded from the other side of the tunnel and reached for their ears. Miu, however, became cognizant of this phenomenon through a visual medium, not an auditive one. “....What the....What the hell is....?” Miu looked closely at the screen in her remote as she drew a confused expression, one of complete blankness. For once, she was completely clueless as to what this could mean, yet she had formed a firm idea all on her own.... 

A trail of blood. 

“N-No….Did something happen to him after all...?” Tenko said, attempting to cover her eyes from such a terrible sight

Shuichi was too busy holding in the need to vomit to see what happened next. 

“Everyone stay here, we’ll see what happened” Rantaro said, motioning back at the students to keep their distance. 

Kirumi, Maki and him hurried ahead. The others didn’t wait for them, following close behind, but there was no time to argue. Because not far from the drone, which had been stabilized on the ground….

Kaito Momota. Luminary of the Stars. To say that his body was “crushed” and “slammed” would be an understatement. Lying face-up on the floor, his body was almost completely covered in blood. If they hadn’t tried to follow him so closely, they wouldn’t have been able to identify his body. The complexions in his face were undone permanently. 

In that very instant, their hearts sank to the depths of their chests. Seeing their comrade end up in such a weakened and frail state was nothing but frightening. As if attempting to see if this was some sort of “joke”, Shuichi and Kaede could not force their eyes away from that horrifying scene. 

“Don’t look at him! just stand back!” Rantaro shouted at the others

But it was too late. From the depths of the tunnel emerged a red Exisal, towering over the trio of students. It stood between them and Kaito, who remained immobile, jumping over him as if he was a mere obstacle in its destructive path.

“Daddy doesn’t like that you’re ignoring his motive! Think you can just escape without playing the game?” Monotaro said

Loud sounds started to echo from behind the group, until a blue Exisal appeared next to Tenko, which scared her beyond belief. She hugged Himiko from fear, with the latter being too frightened to demand that she let go. 

“W-Wait! Kaito’s dead, isn’t he!? Aren’t we supposed to have a trial?!” Shuichi pleaded to them as he got closer to the blue exisal, while Tenko tried to pull him away. 

“No can do! Y’all know who the culprit is! There’s no fuckin’ point!” Monokid said

“After all, you’re the one’s who broke the rules!” Monotaro said with eerie confidence “We’re not killing anybody, we’re executing everyone!”

Their eyes widened due to Monotaro’s comment. Even Kirumi was starting to shiver from the intensity of this situation. 

“Then what do you want us to do?! We can’t escape, we can’t live together, we can’t even follow the rules, just what do you all want from us—-?!”

The monokub sitting in the blue exisal laughed at his pathetic attempts at freedom. In response, its engines roared, and the entirety of the tunnel system began to shake uncontrollably.

“Wrong! Seeing you punks die is what we want!” Monokid yelled 

Die. 

Death. 

They were done for. They were completely done for. It was laughable that they would even think that the monokubs would leave them be. How stupid were they? Through doing this, Shuichi only caused a much greater catastrophe to befall upon everyone else again, not just him. 

But if he could just save one person, just one. Maybe that would be enough.

_What am I doing here?! I need to run away! ___

____

____

He grabbed Kaede’s hand and started to run away from the group, towards the entrance. He barely managed to dodge the yellow Exisal’s hand aiming for him. Kaede, confused by the whole thing, could only try to hold on. 

”Sh-Shuichi! Don’t pull on me so hard! We need to help the others—!” Kaede shouted while struggling to break free from Shuichi’s desperate grasp. 

“If we stay, the Exisals are going to kill us! But if we run away, we might have a chance to survive—-!” Shuichi shouted back at Kaede, while the crashing drowned out their voices. 

Yet another Exisal, this one pink, quickly ran towards the two, crashing against the wall. Once again, they were capable of dodging this strike, but only because Tenko had pushed them away with all the strenght she had. The rest of it had been sapped away, and Shuichi was too afraid to look at the results of this carnage. He could no longer hear those on the front shouting out commands, and those at his side were slowly being taken away from him. The pink Exisal was now focused on Kaede and Shuichi, who had gotten the furthest away from everyone else. “S-Stop it! We need to go back to help them!” Kaede tried to yank her hand off of his tight grip, but he wouldn’t let go as they ran together. Shuichi looked back at Kaede “All the exisals are on the other side! If we run fast enough, maybe we can outrun them—-!” K....Kaede.....? Perhaps he didn’t notice due to the fact that her hand was no longer posing resistance, or perhaps he had just accepted that she had given up, but in that brief instant, it suddenly gained a superhuman weightlessness to it. His body was jerked forwards, and he noticed that the girl had been slammed from behind by the pink Exisal. She was sent flying in front of his eyes, and it was then that he noticed something else entirely—- On this one-way trip, they had been able to cross thanks to the help of Maki, Korekiyo and Kirumi, especially since there was a noticeable gap between one platform and the other. Said platform was now within Shuichi’s eysight, and he stared in horror at what could only be an impossible escape. No matter where he looked, Kaede was nowhere to be seen. A detective’s deduction could tell him many things, but he wanted that conclusion to stop. It wasn’t true, it wasn’t true, it wasn’t true. 

Shuichi, coughing from pain, started to crawl towards the gap in the tunnel. His muscles were sore, and even moving like that was hurting his arms and legs. Despite that, he couldn’t stop no matter what. 

Getting close enough to the gap revealed Kaede’s body, having fallen to the bottom. She lay motionless, with her hair covering her face. Shuichi couldn’t tell if she was smiling or crying. 

Shuichi stretched out his hand towards her, in a vain attempt to get her back. He felt his entire body crumble from an intense pressure, and could no longer feel anything from his neck down. The bones in his back had been ground up by an immense force in an instant, blood rushing to his head as he could not grasp what was happening to him. The giant’s weight crushed his torso as he tried to adjust his head, even a single glance at her could bring him minimal comfort. 

“Ka…..e…..de……!” Shuichi said, his own desperate scream denying him the opportunity to call out to his friend. 

Shuichi’s world went dark. There was nothing to hear, nothing to see, and nothing to say. There was simply nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming to terms with such an ability is quite unfortunate for Shuichi, especially since Kaede is the one that’s supposed to be riding the action, not him. 
> 
> Monokuma isn’t just going to let Shuichi off the hook without a smarter plan, it seems. Though he didn’t make a direct appearance, his presence is still felt through the monokubs. 
> 
> Some characters have a much more major presence than others, but that’s something I did intentionally in order for the pacing to work better, hopefully it’ll become clearer later on why that is the case. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 1: Apocalypse Feast

Shuichi was standing outside of the bathroom in his room. He collapsed as soon as he came to, with his body feeling numb from the pain. However, the Exisal was no longer on top of his body, having disappeared. 

Recognizing that he still had limbs to touch with and a torso to stand on was difficult for his conscious to accept. This time, this very instant, it was the morning before “that incident” was to occur. The last sequence of events showed him that attempting to escape was useless. It wasn’t helpful to anyone, and on the contrary, had only worsened the state of affairs. 

On the other hand, facing the Mastermind in the library was also not an option for two noticeable reasons. First, Shuichi did not know how they were capable of opening the door, and getting answers out of an amnesiac Rantaro wasn’t going to work. 

A specific feeling arose within him every time he approached the library, and it only intensified now, of all times. It was not only a reminder of the fact that he did not want to find out who the Mastermind’s identity was, but also a permanent scar left from his belief that Kaede was the culprit behind Rantaro’s death. 

Even if it was only a sliver of suspicion, the fact that they’d been unable to vote correctly for Rantaro’s killer, coupled with his knowledge of Kaede’s involvement in the library scheme....Wouldn’t it be possible that, in the second to last “memory”, the person who had struck him down was——-

_No. Stop it. Kaede told you to stop thinking._

His head hurt. His head definetly hurt. Not only were the amount of failed “attempts” piling up, his suspicions were only increasing more and more as he gained more information. What a ridiculous burden....

Ding. Ding.

It’s Kaede, isn’t it? There’s no point in denying it. It was always her, and it would always be her. 

He opens the door before she can ring the bell again. 

She was there, right where he had seen her all those times before. This is when Shuichi came up with a peculiar idea, one that would solve the mystery of his ‘hallucinations’ but that he couldn’t explain at all in a way that made sense in reality.

He had died. He had died again. He had died once more after that. It was real. It wasn’t a dream at all: Being sent back to a previous point in time, one in which he was “alive” and not “dead”, the day where the planning with the timer in play was to take place. 

In the previous iterations of events, he had let Kaede down. He had let everyone die again, and then again, and then once more for good measure. What was the point in doing anything anymore? 

Despite this self-revelation, Shuichi found inner peace. If, at the end of the day, his fate was to be defeated by Monokuma, didn’t that mean that nothing mattered? 

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing Nothing. Nothing.

Shuichi muttered to himself as he stared at Kaede. He would save her once, and then he would die. He would save her again, and then he would die again. Wasn’t that a calming existence? One where he could do anything——-

“Shuichi! Snap out of it!” Kaede ordered him as she slapped him across the face. His empty expression and delirious speech had caused her fear, but that wasn’t the real Shuichi.

She looked at her hand as she acknowledged what she had done, and became worried about his current state, thinking she had somehow agitated him.

Shuichi knelt down on the floor, with his head looking down. He was so disappointed in himself. He knew that, had he decided to warn everyone about the Exisals, maybe they wouldn’t have had to die. Had he chosen to simply stay with Kaede in his room and avoid getting himself killed, then they would’ve survived unscathed. None of them knew it at this point, but he felt like apologizing for sins that no longer existed. 

His reaction shocked Kaede, who was left in silence upon seeing him start to lament himself. 

“I shouldn’t have wasted my time like that, I ran away from everyone like a child. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I can’t help but feel like I’m doing something wrong every time I-“ Shuichi said, unloading a pent-up series of emotions. 

“Don’t say that” Kaede said

Her response came swiftly. It was strong enough for him to second-guess his thought process, but not enough to break it altogether. 

“But all that time, I…” Shuichi said, sorrowful

“No, don’t say anything. You need to rest in your room” Kaede shook her head. 

“I can’t take back the time I wasted, I need to do something about it” Shuichi said

“And that’s what I’m telling you to do. I’ll take care of the plan in the library, and we can talk about it when you’re feeling better—“ Kaede said, attempting to comfort Shuichi.

He couldn’t allow Kaede to continue like that, either. Even though their “vote” had been wrong, there was still enough evidence to suggest that Kaede was planning to do something about the timer, and the motive. 

”Alright, but you have to promise me something” Shuichi said

“Kaede: What is it?” Kaede asked

“If you went to the warehouse, leave everything you got there, you won’t need it” Shuichi said

His response caught Kaede by surprise, who hesitated in her response, yet ceded when she realized that even saying that caused him pain. 

“Okay, I’ll make sure of it” Kaede said 

Standing on opposite extremes, they didn’t know how to continue the conversation without the other caving into the other’s argument. Kaede was worried that Shuichi was getting tired, while Shuichi didn’t want her to go through something like that again. 

He just couldn’t let them go. 

Shuichi slowly got up, and started walking to his room again. He looked at Kaede, who gave her a simple smile, yet it seemed as if even she was troubled by what he said. Shuichi opened the door to his room and stayed inside.

Great. His emotions had gotten the better of him, and now Kaede was much more worried than before. He knew that if he came out of his room again, Kaede would berate him for being stubborn, so Shuichi needed time to think about his next course of action. He sat down next to the door while thinking about it.

If the way he understood it is correct, he in no way could allow the plan in the library to continue. For one, it seemed that the Mastermind didn’t care about the answer and wanted everyone dead, though he couldn’t understand why that was the case. And to make matters worse, he failed to catch them in the act and got murdered by them in the process. It was like they were observing all of it closely.

He couldn’t even have them escape through the Death Tunnel of Despair, since the Exisals were too strong for any of them to take down by themselves. If they continued fighting, all of them would die by their hands. 

But wait, that wasn’t true. 

Everyone had gathered in the underground tunnel for the escape plan, but a trio of students were absent, and they had openly denied cooperating with the plan for some reason. What happened to them was a mystery.

He remembered those names and faces. 

Ryoma, the tennis player, K1-B0, the robot with a human complex, and Kokichi, who spoke half-truths and lies by omission. None of them had much in common with each other, and it was strange that Ryoma would choose to spend time with Kokichi of all people, who had a knack for pissing everyone else off. 

Shuichi knew what he had to do. What else was there? Their escape route far from reach, and the Mastermind keeping a close watch on them, it was only fair that he try and see if something sticks, if there's a possible solution for an impossible problem.

He got up from sitting down, and opened the door. As he thought, Kaede was not outside anymore. He just hoped that she had kept her promise, but it wasn't anything to worry about under different circumstances. Now, Shuichi couldn't afford to be careless, he was aware of the consequences if things went wrong. 

If what Kaito had said was true, then the three of them would be in their rooms. He seriously doubted that they would be anywhere else, since Kaito was trying to get everyone together, missing them wasn't likely. 

K1-B0´s Dorm Room was empty, as was Ryoma´s. The only option remaining was Kokichi´s. He rang the doorbell twice. 

Ding. Ding. 

The door was opened by K1-B0 while he was deep in an argument with Kokichi. 

“....And like I said, I don't have what you call a “piss pistol”!” K1-B0 said, blushing intensely

Being met with Shuichi´s presence right outside the door, He started blushing at the thought of him having heard him speak about it. It was so ridiculous that Shuichi couldn't help but put up a smile, hiding his laughter. 

“W-Wait! It's not what you think! Kokichi made me say it!” K1-B0 said. He crossed his hands in annoyance, though his expression showed that he was still embarrassed by the whole thing. K1-B0 may be a robot, but it seemed as if shame and regret was a trait universal to all beings with a conscience. 

“ I wasn't really paying attention to what you were saying” Shuichi had lied, but it was a clean one. 

“Oh, that clears things up then. It wasn’t anything relevant to our situation, so I’m glad you were not misinformed” K1-B0 said, relieved

However, that didn't make him feel any less nervous that Kokichi would go out and spill the beans on what he had just been forced to say. 

“Anyway, I need to speak with Kokichi, if he's okay with that” Shuichi said

“Oh, you were dumped by Kaede, weren't you, Shuichi?” As if he was summoned through name-calling, Kokichi stood behind K1-B0, laughing at him. 

Shuichi didn´t have time for Kokichi´s jokes. Not a second to spare. 

“Is that a yes or no?” Shuichi said

“Do you mind if I ask Kaito instead? You don’t seem like the type to give me options” He said playfully. “And what was that terrible act of yours just now?”

Shuichi realized that Kokichi might’ve gone inside his own room to make it seem like he wasn’t listening, but somehow gave himself away.

“Cut it out. He's trying to say something” Ryoma intervened

“Fine, Fine. But if he wants to talk about his break-up, I´ll be the first one to kick him out” Kokichi said

Why was he so fixated on his relationship with Kaede? Maybe Kokichi just had too much free time to waste. Or maybe, Kokichi was making fun of the fact that someone like him had friends. None of the possible explanations were pleasant. 

Shuichi walked into Kokichi´s room. The overall layout was just like his own, but his bed was filled with plenty of boxes of various colors, one of them having a purple coat draped around it. He couldn’t decipher their contents at first glance. 

“I want you to help me stop the Killing Game from starting at all” Shuichi said, looking back at the three. 

Ryoma and K1-B0 had no idea what Shuichi was talking about. The former was caught up in his own memories, while the latter was too busy trying not to think of ways that Kokichi was secretly pranking him. 

Kokichi, however, began to laugh at Shuichi’s proposal with joyful glee. He was taken aback by it, not expecting the sudden change in atmosphere. It wasn’t one of seriousness, but camaraderie. 

“You’re so hilarious, Shuichi! You and K1-B0 should form a comedy duo! But if he’s your partner, then maybe Ryoma can be my foil!”

He stopped laughing abruptly, once Ryoma looked at him with complete seriousness, and followed it with brief silence. 

“Why do you think we’re gathered here? Once the timer ends, Monokuma is going to come after us. This is a way to keep us safe from the Exisals” Kokichi said, poking one of the boxes

So Kokichi did consider that, huh? It did make him have more foresight than both him and Kaito combined, though he didn’t need to know that. 

“What could you have there that you can’t have on the outside?” Shuichi asked

Kokichi pointed at the boxes while looking at Ryoma. 

“Open them” Kokichi commanded

“You’re closer to them than me” He said

“I don’t care. You’re not making it look cool!” Kokichi complained

Resigned to his fate, Ryoma walked over to one of the boxes, and opened them . It was a weeks’ worth of food and water. Though it was rationed in small portions, they were numerous enough to help feed a group of four for several days. And that was just one box. 

“Did you take it from the Dining Hall?” Shuichi asked

“Yes, Kokichi was secretly taking the leftovers and spares given to us by Monokuma. Of course, I objected to it initially, but the timer made me think otherwise” K1-B0 said

That did explain the mystery of Kokichi’s sudden shut-in habit, though it raised far more questions than answers. To begin with, why did he feel the need to do this, if there were other options? Kokichi couldn’t possibly know everything, unless he was good at reading the situation. 

“So your plan is to wait it out in your room until the timer runs out, and live with the survivors?” Shuichi asked

“Maybe so or maybe not! Who knows, really?Care to join me?” Kokichi said

The answer to that was crystal-clear, however: Kokichi had no intentions of sharing his survival tactics with anyone but those he trusts. With this in mind, it was strange that a person with such a sacrificial mindset would choose to side with him, but...

Didn’t that remind him of himself?

“The rations can last longer than necessary since K1-B0 doesn’t need to eat” Ryoma said

“Even if I’m a robot, I still share the same taste for food as everyone else! I’ll at least enjoy the process of digesting it!” K1-B0 said

“We didn’t need to hear about that...” Ryoma said, tugging his hat with disgust. 

One thing did connect with Shuichi, however: If there was something to Kokichi’s plan, it was that he wanted to save certain people, but what if that didn’t need to be the case?

What if no one had to die?

Last time, Monokuma had gotten everyone executed in the Death Tunnel of Despair, but we could also see it in a different way: The only reason that was allowed to happen was because Kokichi, Ryoma and K1-B0 were absent from it. He pondered if including them would have changed anything, but realized that going through the underground tunnel again ran the risk of having people die carelessly, it needed to be done in a different way. 

This realization struck Shuichi like a stream of inspiration. It was unlikely it could succeed, but if it did, the odds of their survival weren’t looking so bad now.

“That’s it! We need to force Monokuma to spare everyone! They don’t have to die!” Shuichi shouted

It was Kokichi who was left confused with his comment. He had no idea how what he said related to what was being discussed just then, but decided to keep going solely out of curiosity. 

“Then tell me, Shuichi, what’s your idea for a mass murder? Death by Exisal?” Kokichi asked with a layer of sarcasm.

If he was going to keep talking like that, then he deserved to be ignored. 

“The rules say that the Killing Game ends if only two students remain. But if that’s true, Monokuma can’t possibly kill us all, because that would break one of his rules” Kokichi said

“Can’t he just make a new one where everyone dies instead?” Ryoma said

“No, I don’t think whoever controls Monokuma would want everything to end before the trial. It’s like they want it to happen, even if the result is that everyone loses” Shuichi said 

Indeed, it was something that Shuichi had deducted from Monokuma’s behavior in the first loop: In that particular instance, Rantaro had been murdered, and a vote was given, yet Monokuma chose to have everyone killed regardless, rather than accepting an amendment in order for the Killing Game to continue without the blackened or victim. 

Everything was just for show, presentation above all else. 

“Even so, they would be seeing our every move from their position. I suspect that they’re watching us right now, actually” K1-B0 said

As far as Shuichi knew, their rooms had no cameras, though he couldn’t neglect the idea that they really were observing them from somewhere. Was it the library, perhaps?

“I need to go back outside again, but if you guys have any ideas, please tell me when you have them” Shuichi said

As he began to leave the room, Kokichi called out to him.

“I’ll be excited to see how you get us all killed next, Shuichi” Kokichi said with a smirk. 

There was no denying that Kokichi had a point: His reckless attitude had developed from a desperate attempt at getting everyone out alive. They didn’t exist under the context in which Shuichi did, nor experience the things that he has, yet for them this was their only chance at survival, and it wasn’t one they were going to waste on stupid thoughts based on a hot-headed mentality. 

If there was someone who knew about Monokuma, Shuichi thought, it had to be Rantaro. The way he spoke about the Killing Game made it seem as if, even through his amnesia, he knew something else that he refused to mention even after being convinced by Shuichi to go ahead with his own plan. 

He had let him act out his plan the last time, having confidence that it would work, but upon seeing the results, he was now completely willing to stop him from making it a reality. It did more harm than good. 

No one was outside of Kokichi’s room. Some of the others were in the Game Room, while Kaede was presumably in the library. 

Despite the time limit, he had all the time in the world, but he refused to use it. Shuichi no longer wanted to return by death, this was his chance to make that possible. Because if they succeeded, no one would have to suffer anymore.

Between the depths of despair, inside its darkest shade, there was hope to be treasured by those that can find it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll admit that writing Kokichi was an interesting experiment, since his character is so flexible. I’ll try to make him more consistent in the future, however. 
> 
> Next chapter wraps up this part of the story, so look forward to it!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 1: My Sacrifice

With everything else out of the way. It was finally time to get started.

Unlike last time, Rantaro was already in the Game Room by this point, though him and Kaito still had different ideas about what to do with Monokuma. It seemed as if, even upon agreeing to go to the underground tunnel alongside Kaito, Rantaro still had his doubts about it even working at all. 

Kirumi, Angie and Maki were also there. Shuichi had noticed that he didn’t see them following Kaito the last few times around, yet he mentioned them as the ones who helped come up with the idea, so was Kaito really just that stubborn about having a plan, even if it was filled with holes?

That’s the astronaut for you. 

Shuichi overheard their conversation from outside the room, and indeed, they were just discussing the plan in detail. 

First was Angie, she was excitedly continuing on the conversation as she understood it. 

“If it comes down to it, we can choose someone to act as bait. Atua needs a sacrifice, after all! she said happily

Rantaro was arguing for the opposite position, that much was apparent. 

“That’s why I kept saying this was a bad idea. We need to make sure that everyone can survive, no one will agree to it otherwise” He said

But still! If we can beat up Monokuma fast enough, we won’t need to think about it!” Kaito shouted

Maki glared at Kaito, though he didn’t notice. 

“It’s either Monokuma or you who’s gettting us killed, then” She said, coldly

Was it too late? Rantaro seemed to be losing foothold of the plan, and he realized that talking to him about Kaito’s idea only discouraged him from cancelling the raid. 

Shuichi entered into the room, with Kaito and Kirumi reacting to his presence. Rantaro seemed upset about their lack of judgement. 

“Oh, I’ll be apologizing for this later...” Shuichi thought

Finally, he interrupted Kaito himself from continuing.

“Kaito, I was thinking about it earlier, but I think your plan is a bad idea” Shuichi intervened

“That’s why I brought us here! To have everyone work on improving the raid!” Kaito said with confidence

If it needs improving, is it really an idea worth pursuing? Shuichi began to regret his earlier choice more and more after Kaito started speaking about it like that. Anyway, convincing everyone to drop the plan altogether was the next course of action to take. 

“I won’t deny that, but would it really be safe if it puts everyone in danger?” Shuichi said

“Sacrifices are a part of life! We can’t win if we don’t play!” Angie said

With reassurance, Shuichi found an opening to attack. 

“We don’t have to play” Shuichi said

“Are you sure about that? Monokuma was very insistent on the timer going into effect once the countdown was over” Kirumi said 

“I know, but what I’m saying is that we can ignore the timer entirely” Shuichi said

Their eyes turned towards him. Except for Maki, who remained silent after realizing that her remarks kept getting ignored by the others.

“The punishment for ignoring the timer is that we get executed. I don’t think that’s a sane way of going about things” Rantaro said.

Shuichi was ready to share his deduction with the group. From this point forward, it was all or nothing, because it would define whether it really is possible to avert the Killing Game

“Monokuma can’t kill us all. He needs a murder and trial to happen first” Shuichi said

“And how do you know that?” Maki asked

“Only two of us can survive, but that goes against the purpose of the timer. Monokuma is trying to use it to lower the number of participants down to the final two” Shuichi said

Everyone was shocked by his proposal. It seemed as if it came out of nowhere. Shuichi was acting strange enough as is, somehow knowing about the plan ahead of time, but that was something else entirely. 

“But that’s where I’m stuck. We can avoid the timer by playing along with Monokuma, meaning that someone is going to die. If we want to prevent that, then it would still mean that Monokuma would go on a rampage and kill everyone except for two..” Shuichi said

Kaito’s eyes lit up. He got a completely different conclusion from it than was intended. 

“Then that just means we have to go ahead with the raid! It helps to put everyone’s minds off the Killing Game, too!” Kaito said

“No, I don’t think the raid has to go on, either. We don’t know what to expect beyond the place where we gave up” Shuichi said

That wasn’t entirely a lie. The group ended up exhausted for a reason: The way there was long, and they only managed to make it further ahead due to having the false hope that it would somehow work that time. Additionally, not even Shuichi knew that Monokuma would send the Exisals down the tunnel, though it was foolish of him to think otherwise. 

“Then let’s just continue from there! I’ll be providing everyone with motivation if they need it!” Kaito said, becoming more and more confident by the minute.

Neither of them could convince the other of their idea. They were at an impasse. 

“Any in favor of the raid?” Rantaro asked

Kaito raised his hand, as did Angie. The ones who didn’t, Kirumi and Maki, were indecisive on which one to follow. 

“I’m siding with Shuichi here, so that makes two against two” Rantaro said

It seemed that Rantaro was finally ready to start fighting back against Kaito, even if he himself was unaware that the plan was doomed to fail from the start. 

“What about you, Kirumi? Don’t you want to escape in the tunnel with us?” Kaito asked her

Kirumi pondered her answer briefly. She put her hand on her chin to suggest that she was deep in thought.

“Though I see merit in such an escape, I believe that the time for coming up for that idea is long overdue, we have to think about something practical and efficient” Kirumi said

With that being three on two, it was clear that Kaito didn’t have as much support as he realized. Regardless, Shuichi was glad that he was able to explain the errors in his logic in a way that made sense to people that have never actually done it before. 

Unfortunately, Kaito wasn’t going down without a fight.

“Well, if you’re going to side with Shuichi, then I’ll just have to go there with Maki. That way, you won’t have to worry about getting hurt” Kaito said

“Don’t pair me up with you, I’m starting to regret it” Maki said

“M-Maki...Not you too..! Anyway, my point is the same! I can still go by myself even if no one else does!” Kaito shouted

The light in his eyes slowly started to fade, turning into shades of desperation instead. 

“No, Kaito. I can’t let you do that. We need to have everyone on the same page or it doesn’t work” Shuichi said

Finally, he began to lose his patience, yet his strong will remained intact. It was clear that Kaito was much more worried than scared. 

“Then what do we do?! We’re running out of time, and I don’t want everyone to die for nothing!” Kaito yelled

“Kaito, please calm down. We need to think of a solution together” Rantaro said 

“I’m sorry about that...You’re right, Shuichi, that was stupid of me. If we can come up with a better idea, then I’ll help you think it through to the end!” Kaito said Though his tone started out solemn, but regained its energy once he finished talking.The normal Kaito was back in action. Those were a tense couple of minutes, but the situation was starting to calm down significantly. 

Shuichi turned to look at Angie, who had taken a step back in order to form a praying position. With her eyes closed, she looked to be in serene peace, with the chaos being but the slightest bother. 

“Ahhh, yes...Atua says that there will be no sacrifices today. So if anyone were to die during this time, he would be very displeased” Angie said

“Whatever is the meaning of that, Angie?” Kirumi asked her

“It means that the Killing Game is over. There will be no winners because there are no players to participate, right?” Angie said

“Wait....Did she just....” Shuichi thought. It was only a small seedling of a hint, so small and yet spread so large and wide.

If there are no players to participate in the Killing Game, then Monokuma can’t kill any of them, since we’d be dead!

“I...I got it! That’s it!” Shuichi said. He was surprised enough by his own to start shaking out of excitement.

“You need to explain yourself too, though I’m more worried than happy to hear that” Rantaro said

“Shuichi: It’s like she said! If somehow, we forced Monokuma to kill all of us, there wouldn’t be any two players to choose from, because everyone would have to die! And since both a murder and a trial are needed for the Killing Game to starts, it has to be delayed!” Shuichi said

For once, that was actually an excellent idea, but there was no way that something like that would make sense to them if he explained it with his current knowledge. 

“I don’t really get what’s going on, but if you have a solution, then let’s have everyone hear it!” Kaito said

Shuichi and Kaito gave each other a mutual thumbs up, while the former started running towards the exit.

“I’ll go talk to Kaede in the library! Please bring everyone else to the Gym!” Shuichi said

This was the chance that he needed. It didn’t present itself in any of his other lives, but that was irrelevant. Shuichi had decided to make the most of this ability, and it was finally starting to pay off. He sprinted so fast that Himiko, who was passing by, had to move to the side in order to dodge Shuichi. 

“Please come to the Gym!” He shouted back at her

Because it was said from a distance, Shuichi was worried that Himiko hadn’t heard it, but there were more pressing issues to worry about.

For one, Kaede was indeed in the library, just as she claimed she would be. Fortunately for Shuichi, she wasn’t carrying her backpack, which could only mean that she really did leave off the plan. 

Shuichi came running without stopping, so Kaede was taken aback by the sudden whiplash. The last time they saw each other, he was much more depressed and apologetic. Now, he looked as if he could hug anyone there. 

He stopped right in front of her, taking heavy breaths in order to catch some air. 

“Kaede! You won’t believe this!” Shuichi said “It’s over! We’re going to win against Monokuma!” Shuichi said

“H-Huh?!” Kaede said. It was quite the whiplash of expectations to see him acting like that. 

His expression turned from exhaustion into a confident smile. Deep down, he couldn’t think clearly at all, he was just excited that one of his ideas could *possibly* work, even if it didn’t. 

“I solved it! The Killing Game is getting delayed! We won’t have to work on the plan in the library anymore!”

She raised her hands in order to push Shuichi back, who was getting a little too close to her without noticing. “Okay, okay, I get it. just calm down for a second” 

Her initial reaction was one of nervousness, since she thought Shuichi was anxious. Upon hearing his explanation, however, Kaede started to understand that he had regained his composure again. 

“So you’re saying that we need to have Monokuma execute us?” Kaede asked with concern

“No, we only have to force him to. Hopefully he doesn’t actually decide to start commiting murder and kill one us” Shuichi said

“O-Oh, I see...I’m not very convinced by that, I’ll admit, but you look very confident in that idea, so I’ll support it” Kaede said

“Yes, I was discussing it with the others in the Game Room, and it came to me suddenly” Shuichi said

“Well, you’re also the one who came up with this plan. I hope I can be as amazing as you, Shuichi” Kaede said. 

“It’s nothing, really. It was just something I came up with, that’s all” Shuichi said

The air around them was one of friendliness, no matter how forced it may be. They were still not over their own burdens, and their mannerisms showed that: Kaede occassionally looked away from Shuichi as he spoke, and Shuichi himself tried to prevent himself from speaking about “dying”. 

Before long, Kirumi arrived in the library.

“Everyone else has gathered in the Gym. Please make your way there as soon as you can” She said

“Thank you, Kirumi, we’ll be there right away” Kaede said

The two of them began following Kirumi to the Gym. The walk was peaceful for everyone but Shuichi, who was mentally preparing himself for any “unexpected events”. Out of all the loops, this was the riskiest one by far, because their deaths would be pushed onto them by Shuichi himself, were the plan to fail. 

Surprisingly enough, everyone did manage to arrive to the Gym. Ryoma, K1-B0 and Kokichi were also present, with the latter eating one of the leftovers while talking to K1-B0. As for the others, they had very confused reactions, as their meeting was meant to be done out of a sense of emergency. 

Kaito signaled Shuichi to move towards him so the others could see him. He could feel everyone’s eyes taking a precise gaze at him with each step he took. 

“I think Kaito already explained what the situation is, if I’m not wrong” Shuichi said

A hand came up in the crowd, it was Himiko. 

“No one told me anything, I just followed Angie...” She said, with the other girl by her side. 

“Well, for those that didn’t know, the reason we called everyone here was because of a discovery we made” Shuichi said 

If the discussion with Kaito was tense, then this was bound to increase the magnitude by a grand amount. 

“We discovered a way to prevent the Killing Game from starting at all” Shuichi said

Rumors and whispers made themselves heard through the crowd. Shuichi couldn’t figure out who was saying what, like unintelligible noises with no rhyme or reason to them. 

“This better be a good idea! You made me waste my time on those cameras!” Miu shouted at him

Oh, right. Even though Kaede picked up the cameras from Miu, as Shuichi guessed, they weren’t used for the scheme that they planned out. Once again, his own fault.

“There’s nothing to worry about, it’s the solution to our problems!” Kaito said

“In any case, I want everyone to listen carefully, so please pay attention to what I’m about to say” Shuichi motioned for everyone to remain calm. And on command, there was silence, though Kokichi kept talking to K1-B0, so the former covered the latter’s mouth, and viceversa. It was an amusing sight to see beyond the stress. 

Deep breaths. 

Breathe in. Breathe out. 

His excitement was the only thing keeping him from breaking into a panic, and if that happened, he wouldn’t look as convincing when delivering his message. 

“The way to end the Killing Game is by forcing Monokuma to execute all of us” Shuichi said

The casual, non-chalant chatter and rumors turned into chaos very quickly. It was to be expected from such a statement. 

“Shuichi wants us to die?” Gonta wondered 

“That’s the most bullshit I’ve ever seen spew out of someone’s mouth!” Miu yelled

“Oh no, I’m too young to die! I still haven’t met my step brother in real life yet!” Tsumugi said, more exasperated than ever. 

It seemed as though, for a brief moment, Shuichi had seen Kaede about to intervene, but she held back her words. 

“Everyone, stop talking” Rantaro said

In another scenario, Rantaro would’ve been dismissed as someone who wanted to take control of the conversation, but what impressed them the most was that his tone was serious, and very much so. He no longer bore a light smile, either.

“Rantaro: Can’t you listen to Shuichi for once? Don’t you guys want to live? Is that what you’re saying? I thought we agreed that ending the Killing Game was a necessary evil if we wanted to make it out alive” Rantaro said. His tone had changed from casual to completely serious. 

“But we can’t be sure if it’ll—“ Tsumugi intervened

“Then listen. Wait for him to explain himself, and then continue” Rantaro said

Rantaro looked at Shuichi with a confident expression, nodding at him. 

“There’s a contradiction in the way Monokuma’s rules work. This motive would get everyone executed once the timer runs out, yet he wants there to be two winners. I came to the conclusion that Monokuma wants a murder and trial to happen in order to start the game, the results don’t matter as long as he gets what he wants” Shuichi said 

“I’m confused. How do you know that for certain?” K1-B0 said 

“Because they wouldn’t go this far without gaining something in return. And that is for us to play along with him—“ Shuichi said

As he was giving out the explanation, the music started to intensify in the Gym. The monitors in the area started to display creepy imagery. 

Only one hour remained. They had to hurry.

“Anyway, the plan is for us to force him to execute us by breaking a rule” Shuichi said 

“I disagree” Ryoma said

[Shuichi:......Huh?]

“When I heard you talk about it, I thought it was a decent idea, but when you put it like that, it sounds insane, even for me” Ryoma said

“Oooh, Ryoma is getting into it now, interesting...” Kokichi noted

“If we’re going to do something as reckless as that, then give me a reason to follow along with it” Ryoma said

Shuichi thought long and hard about it. There needed to be an incentive that would convince them to follow along. Ryoma was generally someone who would use his own life for the others to live, since he didn’t give it as much value as he should. Though a suggestion did come to mind.

“The alternative is that one of us commits murder, and we’re the ones forced into finding the culprit. I know no one here wants to go through that” Shuichi 

“And you’re saying that, if it works, there won’t be a trial?” Ryoma asked

“Yes, no one here will feel the need to escape, since we’ll be helping each other” Shuichi said

This time, it was Ryoma who was lost in thought. After a minute of silence, a reply came out.

“I still have a lot to learn, I suppose” Ryoma said

Great. Ryoma seemed satisfied with Shuichi’s explanation. But there was no time, they had to move on, and fast. 

“If no one else has any objections, I’ll ask if everyone has their E-Handbooks on them” Shuichi said

All of the students agreed. Excellent, that point came and went just as fast. 

“Alright, I want you guys to-“ Shuichi said, but was interrupted suddenly. 

“No, I can’t let you continue, Shuichi!” Tenko’s voice rung out from the crowd, and she dashed into the center in order to meet Shuichi, who was surprised by her refusal to cooperate. Kaito tried to stop her, but even he was pushed away by her anger. 

“You’re forgetting about something important! And I won’t let anyone else do it without clearing things up!” She said 

“Then tell me what’s wrong, Tenko” Shuichi said

“We haven’t discussed the second motive yet! You think no one wants to take it? That’s wrong!” Tenko said

Shuichi felt dumb for having ignored such a crucial detail of the plan. He had been so caught up in the loops that he completely forgot that the First Blood Perk was a factor as well. 

Did Tenko suspect that one of them was trying to commit murder? Even now?

“Go and explain that, Shuichi! This instant!” Tenko shouted

He had to bluff. There was no way to go about it. Though the way he sees it is one way to look at it, that didn’t stop it from being true. 

“If someone wanted to commit murder, they wouldn’t do it in front of everyone here. If they did, a trial would start, and their guilt would be easy to see” Shuichi said

“But how can you know for sure that they won’t? Huh? Hyah!” She performed a Neo-Aikido Kick to Shuichi’s leg, causing him to kneel. Shuichi was forced to say something he thought he wouldn’t have to. 

“Because I already stopped them. I won’t say who it was, but everything’s cleared up now” Shuichi said

He knew exactly of who he was talking about, but refused to think about it. 

Tenko let go of Shuichi. She didn’t expect to hear that someone had actually attempted to commit murder. If anything, she had only said so because she didn’t want it to be true, yet it was.

“You’re lying...right?” Tenko asked 

“No, I’m telling the truth, but I’ll have to explain it later. Right now we need to focus on the plan” Shuichi said

Tenko backed away, returning to her position. She showed a slight amount of shame, though still remaining serious. 

Shuichi took out his E-Handbook from his pocket, and raised it for everyone else to see. 

“Everyone, take out your Monopads, please” Shuichi said

One by one, they took out the devices and held them in their hands. Rantaro had to second-guess himself, since he was hiding something similar in his hands, yet witheld it from view. 

With two minutes remaining, the soundtrack began to get increasingly louder and louder. Everything came down to this few, precious seconds.

“Now, throw them against the podium!” He shouted. Being desperate, he was the first to throw it, the Monopad crashed against Monokuma’s podium.

CRASH! 

Because of the throw, there were now cracks on it, yet it was still functional. Shuichi looked at the group to see if anyone else would also do it.

Next was Kaito, he threw it as fiercely as he could, which meant that the damage it sustained was much greater. Then came everyone else, who were confused but gained confidence upon seeing the others do it. Even Kaede did so too, though she didn’t comment much about it. 

Only Kokichi was left

“Hehehehe, I’m so indecisive. Do I throw it or do I keep it?” Kokichi said

“Come on Kokichi! We don’t have time for this!” He yelled

“You’ll have to take it from me, then” Kokichi said

But Maki was much faster than him. Before he knew it, she was gripping his Monopad tightly in her hands, while he was struggling to keep a hold on it. Tenko also decided to help, attempting to perform a chokehold on him.

“Let....go!” She pleaded

The Monopad flew into the air and into the ground. It was picked up by Maki who immediately threw it against the podium as fast as she could. 

Fearing the results, Shuichi went to verify that the Monopads were truly broken, and they were. Kokichi’s too, was also damaged. 

Ding Dong Dong Ding!

It was Monokuma. For how much they had mentioned him, he had refused to appear all that time. Yet now he was ready to make an announcement in the monitor. 

[Monokuma: Congratulations! You’ve passed the trial!]

Huh?

Trial?

“What’s this about a trial?” Ryoma said

“Let’s just say that I’m rewarding you for doing nothing” Monokuma said “You chumps got lucky I felt like being a good bear today”

He began to twirl around the podium, kicking each one of the Monopads away.

“I told you to take care of them! Now my poor children will have more work to do!” Monokuma complained, while pointing at the broken devices.

Korekiyo was quiet, though he had questions that needed answering. 

“Regarding the timer, it appears that you chose to ignore it” Korekiyo said 

“Oh, that noisy thing? It was just my ‘death by boredom’ alarm. I’m much more entertained by what happened here than in any lousy trial!”

Monokuma was talking casually to the students again. If the timer had truly stopped, and everyone else was here, then that meant that they really had succeeded. 

It was over. 

Shuichi dropped to his knees again, this time from complete exhaustion. Those had been the tense seventy-two hours of his life, even if for the rest of them their stay had been stressing at the most, Shuichi had gone through so much pain to achieve it. 

And now, it was here.

The Monokubs arrived as normal, rather than using the Exisals

“They’re not dyin’? That’s so fuckin’ boring! I wanted to see blood and guts everywhere!” Monokid says

“EVERYONE-MUST-REMAIN-FRIENDS” Monodam replied

“You’re so violent, Monokid” Monosuke said 

“I was about to throw up, but I suddenly feel better now!” Monophanie clarified

“I need to find a new mommy!” Monotaro cried out, not being able to concentrate on the issue at hand

None of them were paying particular attention to what had happened. Other than Monokuma, it was apparent that the Monokubs were robots with a limited conscience. It was eerie to think about, in a sense. 

“So what happens now?” Shuichi said

“To be honest, none of us expected the Killing Game to be delayed, but it’s no bother! I’ll still have you trouble-making students here anyway, might as well enjoy it while you still can” Monokuma said cheerfully

“Go to your rooms. Sleep. Eat. Play. Whatever you people without friends do in your spare time. It’s none of my business” Monokuma said

With that, Monokuma was gone, with the Monokubs following suit. It was such a strange feeling, to have all the time in the world not just for himself, but for everyone else, now that they could share it. 

For the first time, none of the students had any idea how to proceed, not even Shuichi. 

“Sorry, I need to go to my dorm” Kaede said

Kaede was much more serious than usual. Even though they had spoken happily, their relationship had deteriorated somewhat. He hoped to make it up to her somehow. She glanced at him with a simple smile, before looking away. 

Not now, though. Everyone needed to take a break from the world and just rest for a while. Kirumi walked towards Shuichi, noting that he was very, very tired. 

“Follow Kaede’s example and sleep in your room, it’s nearly nighttime” She recommended

She was right. His body could barely move as is. It was only fair that they got a well-deserved break. Because somehow, Shuichi knew that tomorrow was going to be a very long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing out scenes that didn’t involve death and murder was something I had to get used to. Both this chapter and the beginning of the next one are meant to act as build-up for what is to come next. 
> 
> I’ll admit that it’s hard to involve all of the characters in a single scene when they’re together. But I like to think that even if I’m not focusing on them, that they’re doing something regardless, by themselves. This is also dependent on who Shuichi interacts with from his own perspective, so there’s that. 
> 
> How will the conclusion of this chapter impact the events of the oncoming ones? That is yet to be seen. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Special Episode I: Escapades of a Tennis Player

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is meant to fill in some of the gaps in the story from Ryoma’s perspective up to the end of chapter 1. Each scene corresponds to a particular loop, and they don’t necessarily take place at the exact same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I meant to put up this chapter before this week’s update, but I feel that it works out better this way.

If what Monokuma said was true, there was no need to worry about anything anymore. 

Ryoma looked at the trial screen. Shuichi’s figure was displayed on it, and a marker for “incorrect!” was highlighted all over it. Upon seeing that, his senses went numb, and his mind began to wander. 

But there was no time to think. As soon as he processed what was happening around him, a chain reached out to grab Korekiyo, who had been panicking ever since the results were given. He was dragged away without hesitation into the sky, never to be seen again. 

Shuichi and Kaede were busy trying to enjoy any seconds that were left. Ryoma wondered if his girlfriend would’ve done the same for him. He acknowledged that the answer was yes. 

In that split second, K1-B0, who was standing guard next to him, was suddenly hit on the back by an agile object, a chain. Ryoma looked surprised at this sight, and attempted to hang on. 

“Don’t! You’ll be dragged away too, Ryoma!” K1-B0 pleaded for Ryoma to let go of him, as he was being dragged away by the neck due to the chains that strangled him. 

But Ryoma refused.

Even if the last thing he ever did was die a painful death, he couldn’t allow himself to do so without first helping someone out. 

Nothing was pointless. The life he had left, he had to live it to the fullest. 

Ryoma was dragged away by the chains himself, which split the robot and him further apart from each other

[ ]

When he came to, Ryoma realized that he was strapped to a moving pole. The scenery was that of a tennis court, yet no one but Monokuma was there to see him. A few seconds passed, and the pole began to move from right to left, as the other one started to strike a gigantic ball which was passing through the court.

This repeated a few times, until Ryoma’s own pole was struck by it, and then the speed began to intensify. With each second, the strength of the hits went from being a mild inconvenience for the Tennis Pro, to a deadly weapon that crushing and grounding his bones with each successful hit. 

If the gang members he killed could see him, would they be happy to see him die? Shocked at his willingness to do so? He had taken their lives away, it was only fair that he got his retribution in the end. However, Ryoma lamented that there wasn’t a crowd to be seen, dying painfully was a little less harsh when accompanied by friends, after all. 

For just this once, Ryoma died just as he lived, a criminal. He considered himself too cool to be a hero. Monokuma would not give him the pleasure of clearing his name, in any case……..

—-——————-

“That’s a no from me. Three’s a crowd, you know?” Kokichi said to Ryoma as they were standing outside the former’s room. 

Ryoma had meant to ask him if he could stay because it would hurt his image if the others realized that he was by himself. Kokichi wasn’t particularly the friendliest person, and he knew that, but everyone else had friends already. 

“That was just a suggestion” Ryoma said “Having me on your team could come in handy”

“You’re so desperate, Ryoma” Kokichi said “Why not ask Kaito to be your buddy? Isn’t he called the “best guy ever”?”

“Kaito is cool, but I’m cool for a different reason” Ryoma said “Choosing your allies in the Killing Game isn’t a bad idea” 

“Awww! I’m so flattered! Ryoma thinks of me as a friend!” Kokichi said “Sadly for you, I won’t let you in” 

“Why not?” Ryoma asked

“Because I don’t want to! Keebo is better at falling for my jokes anyway, you’d just be another straight-man” Kokichi explained 

Rejected by Kokichi? That was new. He didn’t think that anyone would be willing to cooperate with him. It just so happens, he was that stubborn fool……

——————-

No matter the situation, time and time again, Kokichi rejected Ryoma. In this particular situation, it seems as though fate had played him a different hand. Their discussion had played out in the same way, save for a single, unpredictable factor.

Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars.

He was heading in their direction in a hurry, and looked desperate. Before Kaito could notice them, Kokichi grabbed Ryoma’s hand and took him inside his room. 

Ryoma was surprised to see that the room was filled with boxes, acting as containers. His purple coat was draped around one of them, as if it was thrown out of the way. K1-B0, despite not being mentioned by Kokichi, was there as well, though he was embarrassed that Ryoma had found out about his visit. 

Kaito rang the doorbell, but Kokichi didn’t listen. This went on several times, until the latter decided to entertain him. 

“Kokichi! I don’t have time for this! We have to escape the Academy!” Kaito said, desperately trying to keep the door open.

“No can do! I don’t want to follow your stupid plan, you poopyhead!” Kokichi replied, pushing to keep the door closed with force. 

With a fast move, Kaito opened the door and immediately punched him square in the face, making him fall on the ground. Ryoma stared in disbelief at this sight. 

“Stop it at once! Using force is not necessary right now!” K1-B0 intervened, getting in front of Kokichi. Once their struggle had ceded, the three of them looked closely at each other.

“We have to work together, so if I have to, I’ll do it again” Kaito said, with a serious expression “I’m doing this for everyone’s sake, why won’t you listen to me?” 

“We’re staying here” Ryoma said “That’s what we all want”

Despite all odds, Ryoma had found a home. If they were forced to leave, there was no way for them to make it out……

———————

After Shuichi left Kokichi’s room, the three of them found it difficult to believe that Shuichi was having an epiphany. Such a bright idea coming at a time like that was too convenient to be true, at least that’s what Ryoma thought. 

As they made their way to the Gym, Ryoma had a fateful encounter with Gonta, who did not know where to go. 

“You’re not going to follow them? The Gym is that way” Ryoma said, pointing in its direction. 

“Gonta wanted to watch a movie about bugs first” Gonta said “But Gonta knows where Gym is”

“I wasn’t asking if you knew, I’m leaving” Ryoma said

“But group is supposed to meet in Gym!” Gonta responded in surprise, coming to the same realization as him.

Ryoma walked past Gonta, and started to make his way to the other end of the hallway. Since Kokichi wasn’t following him anymore, no one else could stop him from enjoying his last moments.

No one but Gonta, anyway. He was still waiting for him to get there with him. The two looked at each other closely.

“My pro tennis moves didn’t work, huh? Looks like I still have a ways to go before I can call myself a failure” Ryoma said to himself. 

Having said that, he took a step, and then another, in Gonta’s direction. They reunited in the same spot, and made their way to the Gym at the same pace, together. 

Despite his looks, Gonta was a much more innocent and fragile person on the inside than he’d imagined. They didn’t have the opportunity to speak until then, and there was just something about him that made Ryoma want to protect him.

A giant and a small guy. It was like some sort of bad joke. But as he saw how kind Gonta was to him, despite his attempts to push him away, he realized that getting to know him might not be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s a shorter chapter than usual, but due to it serving a different purpose than non-canon fluff, I thought it was long enough. If you’d want the next ones (yes, there’ll be more) to be longer feel free to tell me, though. 
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


	7. Chapter 2: Helping Hand

**Chapter 2: Our Reason For Being**

Now then. 

It has been proven that life is not perfect, and neither is death. For the average individual, it signifies the difference between being capable of helping others and resigning oneself to the endless abyss of nothingness. 

But Shuichi Saihara did not have the leisure of conclusion. Being exposed to different outcomes has taught him much, yet it has also ripped away precious memories from him. 

Such was the price of living among the dead. Or to be more specific, people who should not be alive right now, yet go through their day without being aware of their previous fates.

“Take a break”

That’s what Kirumi had wanted him to do. But frankly, even doing something as simple as that took serious effort on his part.

Because stress had become a habit. He knew it wasn’t normal, but now he couldn’t stand still without suspecting that someone, anyone, could be in danger while he stood there, without being able to help. 

Where did this ability even come from, anyway? It’s not like his parents had any secrets to hide, and he hadn’t gotten killed before, so there was no way for him to have known about it before now. It did have its helpful uses? But it was too situational for it to be used by him. 

Shuichi managed to scrape by with two hours of sleep. Though he was happier than ever to have helped everyone, his messy appearance contrasted it completely. There wasn’t much he could do about it, though, other than going back to sleep. Unfortunately, it was morning already, so it was to be expected that they’d want to meet right now. 

A silver lining to his situation, being in his dorm room, is that no one had decided to ring the doorbell. Though it didn’t help that his thoughts could roam free uninterrupted. He was generally nervous, so being alone didn’t help. 

Shuichi got up from his bed and walked over to the door. His hand reached for the handle, but hesitated. 

“If I open it, will Kaede be waiting for me?” Shuichi thought

Progress was a very scary thing. Routine is not easy to adjust once it’s broken, so some habits simply don’t disappear even after being exposed to a stronger stimulus. 

Shuichi rejected the sense of tranquility that was enveloping him. He didn’t want to think that his work was over. Besides, there was still much to do, even if no one had to die, right?

He slowly opened the door, and saw that Kaede was not in his field of vision. She was completely absent from the area. 

Shuichi took a deep breath, and walked outside. His steps were clumsy and slow, since going to the Dining Hall took most of his energy. Maybe they’d think that he had just seen a ghost, or perhaps they’d laugh it off, claiming that Shuichi was just exaggerating. 

A pact was made between his conscious and subconscious. There would be no more deaths as far as he was concerned, and for that reason, speaking about what he went through was no longer necessary. Shuichi knew that the impact it had on Kaede wasn’t the best, so he refrained from elaborating. They wouldn’t understand a thing about it, anyway. 

But the only other person there was Tsumugi. She wasn’t doing anything in particular, but was surprised to see him arrive. 

“Shuichi, everyone went to Kirumi’s Research Lab to eat....Did something happen? You look so tired” Tsumugi said, giving him a concerned stare. 

Shuichi took a second to react to that. He didn’t realize that everyone usually woke up early, so it wasn’t out of the question to consider that Monokuma had opened up the new areas while he wasn’t around. How inconsiderate of him. On top of that, it appeared that the others had given him time to sleep, which he had wasted by getting worried over nothing.

The only way to tell the time was with Monokuma’s Morning Announcement, and if his lack of sleep was proof of anything, it meant that it had sounded while he was getting rid of his exhaustion. 

“I had trouble sleeping, nothing much to worry about” Shuichi said

“That’s a shame, you worked so hard to help us yesterday..” Tsumugi said

“By the way, did any other Research Labs open?” Shuichi asked

“There are other rooms available, but Kaito told me to get you before checking each of them out” Tsumugi said

“In that case, why were you standing here instead of walking towards my room?” Shuichi pondered

“I thought you would try going here since you missed Monokuma’s announcement. I’d feel bad if I woke you up by accident, too” Tsumugi said

“I suppose you’re right” Shuichi said

He didn’t think much of it. After all, he was missing a lot of information, which he wanted to know about before settling on a course of action. It was a natural instinct to doubt, but very much so is the need to discover new things. 

“Oh, it’s this way” Tsumugi said

She pointed in the opposite direction to where Shuichi was going, which made him feel embarrassed. It made sense that the new rooms would be on the upper floor, since adding new buildings in the courtyard would make it feel cramped very quickly. 

“Monokuma decided to move things along even if some of us were missing. He was confident enough to give Kaede the keys, too” Tsumugi said

“‘Keys?’” Shuichi asked

“Yes, they’re used to access the new rooms that we couldn’t enter before. Now that I think about it, they don’t ‘look’ like keys, do they? I should’ve phrased it better...”

Tsumugi kept rambling to herself as they walked up the new set of stairs that had been built. It was much easier to guess from the outside than the inside, but the Academy was now much larger than before, so it took considerable time to traverse each floor.

Eventually, Tsumugi and Shuichi made their way to Kirumi’s Research Lab. It seemed to be a mix between a place where one could do laundry, and a fancy hotel. The room served Kirumi’s need to provide for the other students, giving her the necessary materials to do so. She was right, everyone had gathered there to eat, amd were sitting on chairs next to a very elegant table. 

“We were waiting for you, Shuichi! C’mon, sit over there” Kaito said, greeting him. 

He gestured to a chair in front of him, and Shuichi slowly sat down on the chair. The fabric felt comfortable, which made him feel sleepy again. Everyone was mostly done eating already, and the food on his plate was a very simple arrangement of water, bread, and a series of vegetables. 

“Because we didn’t need to stockpile the food Kokichi took, I decided to have everyone else eat it” K1-B0 clarified 

“‘Everyone’ except you, of course” Kokichi said, mocking K1-B0

“One day, I’ll be eating from a buffet just like everyone else. For now, I can only imagine how it feels to swallow it” K1-B0 said 

“Whoever made you didn’t bother to add a throat...what a shame” Kokichi said 

The two entered yet another argument on the ethics of robots being capable of consuming edibles. Meanwhile, Kaito tapped Shuichi on the shoulder, having sat next to him. He had preserved his own food in order to eat it alongside him. 

“We want to thank you for helping us. That was a close call” Kaito said

“No need to thank me, I didn’t really come up with the idea, that was Angie” Shuichi said

Anything to drive the conversation off of himself would suffice. It was awkward enough when Tsumugi realized his blunder, he didn’t need anyone else doing that. 

“No, Shuichi, Atua is the one who brought salvation upon us! Who would’ve thought that destroying the E-Handbooks was our solution?” Angie said

“Awww! I didn’t want to break mine, it fit so nicely with my supreme leader outfit!” Kokichi said

”That does make me wonder: Why did Monokuma even let us keep going? I thought he wanted us to kill each other?” K1-B0 asked

”I wouldn’t doubt that Monokuma is planning something. I’ve been getting some bad vibes from all this” Rantaro said

Speaking of negative impressions, Shuichi had turned his eyes away from the ensuing conversation. He noticed that Kaede hadn’t spoken in a while, and she didn’t bother to greet him, either.

Inside Kaede’s heart, there was discord and turmoil. She had a defeated look on her face, as if she had just seen a horrible sight of terrific proportions. 

“To tell truth, Gonta wants to see his “Research Lab” room” Gonta said

“That’s not fair, I want everyone to go see mine first. I’ll leave you so dumbfounded by my magic tricks, you’ll never want to leave” Himiko said

“But if I can’t leave, I won’t have time to practice my neo-aikido!” Tenko said in surprise

A melancholic voice spoke out among the chatter. Its tone was so unlike the others, that it stood out among them, drawing everyone’s attention to it like a black hole

“...I have to make a confession” It said

Whatever she was trying to talk about, it was held deep inside. Kaede had started acting that way ever since Shuichi let out his own guilt, so was Kaede trying to do the same? So many possibilities crossed through his mind that the accelerating thought process shook him awake. Despite that, his brain was starting to fry from thinking too much. 

Shuichi got up from his chair and started to hurry towards Kaede. He couldn’t let her continue no matter what. 

“You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to, we can discuss it later” Shuichi said

But Kaede wasn’t having it. She brushed him aside. She was starting to get angry not at him, or anyone else in the room, but herself. 

“No, Shuichi! It’s not fair that you get to apologize for your failures, but I get to keep them for myself! I have to say something!” Kaede said, angered

“Kaede, please listen to me—“ Shuichi pleaded

He was trying to hold onto her with his stretched out hand, but Kaede caught it with her own before he could, making him lose his balance. Shuichi was staring in complete shock and horror.

Kaede cleared her throat, gulping. 

“Yesterday, I tried to commit murder in the library. Shuichi stopped me from going there because he knew what I was doing!” She said, unloading her emotions as well.

Letting them out, the frustrated emotions in her voice began to fade, being replaced by those of sorrow. Everyone around her looked confused at her words, not understanding their sincerity. 

“I didn’t realize it then, but my plan could’ve gotten one of you killed. Because Shuichi managed to have everyone survive, while I was just thinking of ending the game by playing it....”

She attempted to gauge the reaction to her confession, but it was very mixed. Most of the students were left speechless, but Rantaro seemed to be minding his own business. 

Out of shame, Kaede let go of Shuichi’s hand and started to walk away from the table, leaving Kirumi’s Research Lab. The whole scene had started and ended so quickly that Shuichi was left in shock. He had hoped that, through their survival, they would be able to bond properly. However, it seemed as if this was a friendship built on top of a steep hill, one that he had to climb one way or another. 

And this was just the start of Shuichi’s morning, the one that came after their plan was a success. 

There were whispers in the table. Shuichi could hear them clearly even if he was standing away from it. 

Fortunately, it was Kirumi who decided to break the silence. She wasn’t sitting with the rest of them, instead having washed their clothes in the washing machine. There were separate baskets for each pair, which came as a convenient solution to their wardrobe issues. 

“If I may offer a suggestion. It would be best if we adjourned our meeting until tomorrow. Some of you have not rested enough” Kirumi said 

It was evident that she was speaking of Shuichi while saying that, but he wanted to believe that his appearance had improved since he was forced to wake up from his drowsy state. And it was such a rude awakening, too. 

“Yeah, I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to stay” Kaito said 

He scratched his neck while chuckling nervously. Kaito sounded disappointed that the meeting had been cancelled, but there wasn’t much they could do about it.

They nodded, and one by one started to stand up from the table, going outside of the Research Lab. Seeing that they had left, Kirumi began to silently remove the napkins and eating utensils on the table. Kaede had barely eaten anything, while Shuichi’s plate was empty because he was starving. 

Before he left, Kaito approached Shuichi, passing him by. He let out a sigh. 

“I’m sorry about that, I just really wanted everyone to talk like normal” Kaito said 

He didn’t stay to listen to Shuichi’s response, who hadn’t replied. Instead, he kept going, which left Shuichi as the only person other than Kirumi left in her Research Lab. She spoke out from the washing room while peeking out her head. 

“I recognize that you cherish your friendship with Kaede, but please heed my advice for once” Kirumi said

That was enough for him to react. He needed something to reassure his nerves, even if it was small. 

“Thank you, Kirumi” Shuichi said

Shuichi didn’t know what to do next as he too walked out of the room. He knew that Kirumi was busy cleaning, so it’s not like he could talk to her for long, she’d shift her attention towards him instead, and the last thing he wanted was for Kirumi to have more work than she already does. 

With the opening of a second floor also came new Research Labs. To get his mind off of recent events, he decided to stroll through the Academy, looking for anyone else to talk to. 

After a minute or so, he saw that Rantaro was standing outside of Ryoma’s Research Lab. Rantaro hadn’t said anything, and was simply thinking to himself while leaning against the wall.

“Hey, Shuichi. I was planning on speaking to you, so it’s convenient that you’re here. Do you have a second?” Rantaro said

“Actually I did want to know something myself, if you don’t mind” Shuichi said

There were surely things that he wasn’t there to see. It was important that he became aware of them, and fast. 

“Well, I guess that makes us even. What do you want to know?” Rantaro said 

“Tsumugi told me that I missed the opening of the Research Labs. Did I miss anything else?” Shuichi asked

For a second, Rantaro didn’t know what to say. He was still following his own, disconnected train of thought, so following along with a different one made him start to overthink it. 

“Yes, in particular, Monokuma had also hidden something else, apart from the keys he gave us. If you want to, I can tell you about it” Rantaro said

“I understand that, but why didn’t anyone else mention it?” Shuichi inquired

Because I hid it so they wouldn’t have to look at it” Rantaro said “It’s a secret”

The way Rantaro talked about it, even if it was of his own accord, seemed as if it brought back some very unpleasant memories. Rather than press him about it, Shuichi tried to guess what its purpose was.

“If Monokuma was planning on giving it to us, then that means that he wants us to see it” Shuichi said

“I know, but trust me when I say that the last thing you want to do, is to believe someone like him” Rantaro said

There was a short silence, Rantaro looked closely at Shuichi, which made him uncomfortable. However, he realized that Rantaro was actually looking behind him, to see if anyone else was eavesdropping on the conversation. 

“From what I gathered, it’s a device that can restore your memories. Whatever was inside it couldn’t be good, so I wanted to see if it was safe first” Rantaro said

“And what did you see?” Shuichi asked

“Remember how I brought up the Ultimate Hunt earlier? My amnesia didn’t let me remember much, but that’s one of the memories I did manage to keep. I was so surprised when I realized: this machine had a similar set of memories for everyone” Rantaro said

The Ultimate Hunt sounded like a familiar concept, even if he didn’t ‘remember’ what it was like. Rantaro’s explanation took a reminiscent tone, as if he himself was recalling a previous life. 

“The outside world really is a dangerous place. It made me think if it really would be better to stay here, even if the Killing Game doesn’t continue—“ Rantaro was saying, but his voice was matched by someone else’s. 

“???: Oooh! We’re hunting ultimates? I wanna join in! Can I bring weapons?”

Like a creepy stalker, a figure was standing right behind Shuichi, peering from the side. Because he hadn’t felt anything, Shuichi was completely taken aback by it.

Yet, it was only Kokichi, wanting to mess around with the two. 

“What’s with your face, Shuichi? You look sooooo surprised that other people are interested in what you’re talking about” Kokichi said 

“This doesn’t concern you, Kokichi” Rantaro said defensively

Kokichi’s made a playful expression as he looked at Rantaro. Somehow, whatever he was doing was meant to piss him off. 

“You’re completely right. It doesn’t concern me, it’s something that everyone should know about. Don’t you think so?” Kokichi said

Even Rantaro, who was usually calm despite the tense pressure of everyday life on the Academy, was starting to lose his patience.

“I’m not showing it to anyone, because they don’t need to know” Rantaro said

“Huh? Know about what? The “Flashback Light”, maybe?” Kokichi said

Hearing Kokichi’s response made Rantaro feel surprised. “How did you know that it was called a Flashback Light? Tell me” 

“I was just guessing, that’s all. I didn’t think I’d hit the mark so quickly, though” Kokichi said

No matter how Rantaro asked him, Kokichi would find a way to dodge his questions with an excuse so bad, it might as well have been true. 

Getting tired of Kokichi’s antics, Rantaro knew he had to get him away from there, or else things would start to get ugly. 

“Shuichi....Would you do me a favor and walk around the Academy with Kokichi?” Rantaro said

“Yes, I think I can handle it” Shuichi said

“Come on, Shuichi. Not everyone gets a chance to talk with a Supreme Leader so casually. You should be grateful I’m even paying you attention!” Kokichi said sarcastically

Shuichi smiled nervously at Kokichi. Despite his own claim that Angie had played a part in the plan, there was no denying that he had been influenced by Kokichi’s carefree spirit, no matter how insane it may be. 

The two began to walk inside Gonta’s Research Lab, while Rantaro walked towards the other side, probably going to the lower floors. 

The insides of Gonta’s Research Lab, unlike Kirumi’s, was a direct contrast to his gentle personality: It had small cages with miniature bugs of all shapes and sizes, though they were noisy enough to distract anyone who came close to them. The critters didn’t pose much of a threat due to being locked up, yet Kokichi shuddered as he passed by. 

Gonta was also inside the room, and he was attempting to read one the books on the table, which was placed in the center of everything else. 

“Gonta! Look who I brought for our surprise meeting!” Kokichi said

“Surprise meeting? Gonta doesn’t know about it” He said in confusion

“Of course you do, I just told you that we’re going to have it here! Can’t you listen?” Kokichi said, annoyed 

“Please, Gonta will just get more confused if you tell him that” Shuichi said, trying to get him to stop. 

“No bother, he’ll catch up one way or another, he has to” Kokichi said 

The book that Gonta was reading caught Shuichi’s eye. Its title was “Evolution of the Insects”, but due to its size, he wondered if Gonta really was as naive as Kokichi made him out to be through his mockery. 

“Gonta, what is that book about?” Shuichi asked

“Bugs! Small bugs! Big bugs! Gonta knows all about bugs, so the book was interesting” Gonta said

His manner of speaking became more organized and formal while speaking excitedly. They were getting somewhere. 

“Yes, I really like bugs too! they’re my favorite animals ever! I’m veeery sure the others would love it if we held a meeting here with them!” Kokichi said

Kokichi’s superficial lies were easy to spot when he was aiming them at someone who he thought would believe anything he said. However, Shuichi knew just how frightened Kokichi was of even approaching them. 

”If others like bugs, then Gonta organize event so they can meet together” He said

“I don’t think that’s a good idea—“ Shuichi was about to intervene, but...

“C’mon, Shuichi! Don’t be such a buzzkill! Everyone’s going to love it!” Kokichi said

There was just no reasoning with Kokichi. If he had a “genius” thought in mind, it was an eventuality that he would try to pull it off eventually. 

Gonta and Kokichi became completely engrossed in the topic at hand, meaning that Shuichi’s attempts to change the topic were to no effect. He wondered if Kokichi was doing it intentionally, yet decided it was an opportunity for him to return to his room. If he slept early, perhaps tomorrow he would be able to help more than he did today. 

“Next time you have a conversation, keep it a secret, hehehe” Kokichi said 

Kokichi’s voice echoed out from inside Gonta’s Research Lab as he walked away from it, and yet Shuichi knew he was talking about their previous conversation. One had to be wary of how Kokichi reacted to the information he had available. 

Rather than bothering to argue with Kokichi, he made his way towards the dorm rooms. Having no one to interact with made him realize that he was simply pulling his body forward, yet had become much more tired now than he was in the morning. 

He couldn’t end the day without doing something important first, though. 

“.....Kaede? It’s me. Shuichi” He said, between the silence. 

He rung the doorbell. Yet there was no response at all. He did it again, and still nothing. This time, she was definetly not outside, since she had wanted to go to her room after their argument. 

Shuichi knocked on the door, expecting a different response, but nothing changed. Her confession had caused a rift that wasn’t going to fade for a while. 

Once that was done, Shuichi made his way to his room. Surprisingly enough, Tenko and Himiko were blocking the door, while the latter tugged on Tenko’s shoulder in annoyance. 

“Himiko wanted me to apologize for yesterday, since you were feeling so low” Tenko said

“Actually, I only mentioned it once, but you dragged me along...” Himko said

It seemed like it had happened ages ago, but Shuichi recalled when Tenko had confronted him about the First Blood Perk, and how violently she reacted. That’s when his back began to hurt just from remembering the impact. 

“No, you guys helped me clear my thoughts on the plan. There were some things I didn’t consider at all while doing it, so I didn’t really mind” Shuichi said

Tenko became embarassed by Shuichi’s humility. The way she understood it, he was supposed to get angry at her for having hit him, yet his reaction was nothing like he expected. 

”Don’t think for a second that I like you or anything! You’re such an oddball!” Kaito said, taking a fighting stance

On instinct, Tenko karate-chopped Shuichi’s shoulder, making him flinch. Himiko began to look at her like she was a wierdo, so Tenko tried to compensate somehow. 

“Even so, Himiko and I thank you for helping us live another day!” She said, bowing down while pushinh down Himiko’s head as well, making both of them take a posture of apology. Unlike the beginning of their encounter, her statement was spoken with honesty, even if she said otherwise. 

Tenko let go of Himiko’s head, while the latter was left clutching her hat in confusion. 

“Angie wanted me to meet her in my Research Lab. See you later, I guess” Himiko said 

Himiko began to walk away from Shuichi and Tenko. The latter started to panic after her sudden decision to leave them alone, at which point she decided to follow her as well. 

Tenko looked back at Shuichi while attempting to keep track of Himiko, but kept going.

All of a sudden, Shuichi was left to his own devices. He realized that he had spent much more time than he thought talking to Rantaro and visiting Gonta’s Research Lab with Kokichi. 

It was getting late, nighttime was approaching. 

Shuichi wondered if the next day would end in the same way. Despite everything, there was still a lot of work to be done. Though he couldn’t help but admit that he really did enjoy spending time with everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, despite all he’s going through, Shuichi manages to catch a break somehow. The guy just seems to be a magnet for tragedy.
> 
> Hopefully I’ve been doing a good job of keeping everyone in-character. Some were more difficult to write for than others, and Rantaro comes to mind. Keeping in mind that this is slowly going to diverge more and more (not too much), I’m writing them with the idea of them acting inside a new context: One where the Killing Game hasn’t started yet. 
> 
> Also, the ending statement from last chapter wasn’t a lie: The next day has so many things going on simultaneously that I needed to use this one as a “breather” of sorts. (In comparison, of course) 
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


	8. Chapter 2: Love and Family

Whether he wanted to or not, Shuichi had rested not only for the rest of the evening, but the entire night as well. With each passing day there were new things to do, and he knew that very well, which is why he couldn’t help but be disappointed in the fact that he was getting time to himself. 

Next to where Shuichi had been sleeping was a small device with a screen. It wasn’t turned on, yet the colors on the border made it look childishly colorful. 

“This is—“ Shuichi said in surprise

The screen on the monopad flared to life, with Monokuma appearing on the screen. It was then that he was presented with a different world from his own.

They were Kaito’s grandparents. 

Unlike what Monokuma was aiming for him to think, Shuichi realized that the obvious implication for Kaito is that he wasn’t raised by his parents. The way they worried about his return, and desperately wanted him to come back was a deliberate decision: It was meant to show that these were Kaito’s loved ones. 

Shuichi’s family situation was complicated, to put it mildly. He didn’t have any siblings to share his time with, and his parents spent so much time as the center of attention that he kept getting pushed to the sidelines. Looking for work, he was hired as a detective by his uncle in their detective agency. Despite sharing a similar space, Shuichi couldn’t help but think that he could only properly bond with his uncle, yet didn’t know his parents as much as he’d like to admit. 

It was such a contrast from Kaito’s presumed family life. For one, his grandparents genuinely seemed to care about him, and if his vibrant personality proved anything, it was that he had lived a mostly peaceful existence. 

Monokuma ended the video by explaining that a terrible fate had befallen the couple, with a murder being required to know the reason behind it. Such a simple trick, bait-and-switch the viewer into commiting a crime for someone else’s sake. 

Shuichi lowered the Motive Video from his field of vision. He didn’t have time to keep looking at it, anyway, since he figured that the others had each recieved a different video from their own as well. No, there had to be no delay in his course of action.

——————————————————

There was no need to call the others to the Dining Hall, as they went there of their own accord. Fortunately, Kaito was present, to Shuichi’s relief. However, Kaede, Kirumi, Tenko and Gonta were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they had more important business to attend to. 

“I know that all of you want to know about the Motive Videos, so I’ll get straight to the point: They don’t matter! Rantaro has a much more important announcement to make, riiight?” Kokichi said, nudging Rantaro, but he didn’t budge. Interestingly enough, he was carrying a purple jacket around.

Why was Kokichi so insistent on changing the topic to the Flashback Light? The Motive Videos were Monokuma’s incentive to commit murder. He didn’t see any reason to have them talk about something like that.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” Rantaro said, crossing his arms. 

Finally, Kokichi unveiled what he was holding inside his jacket. It was a small machine with a projector attached to it. He waved it around playfully, revealing it for everyone to see. 

“The Flashback Light! It was left by Monokuma, yet Rantaro was crafty enough to hide it for only him to see! Too bad he put it in such an obvious spot, his room!” Kokichi said. With erratic movements, he started to laugh happily to himself. 

“Kokichi! Give that Flashback Light back to us!” Kaito said

“Oh, but wasn’t it Rantaro who took it from you in the first place? I’m only stealing from the thief here” Kokichi said

“That’s not the point!” Kaito responded, out of annoyance

The two started to argue between each other. It was like watching a brawl that could develop into fighting but remained as insults. 

As if on cue, Monokuma manifested onto the Dining Hall. No one saw him enter or leave, so that mystery had not been solved yet. Regardless, he was very pleased by the current turn of events. 

“Kokichi is correct, that thing you have there is a “Flashback Light” than can restore your memories” Monokuma said, peering at a confused Rantaro. 

“There’s no fuckin’ way something like that actually exists! Where’s the logic? The parts? Eh?” Miu shouted

“Don’t think about it too much! This device simply is, whether you want to accept it or not is up to you” Monokuma said

“We won’t” Rantaro interrupted him

“Eh? Am I seeing a rebellious student in my midst?” Monokuma said, amused by his insistence

“I said, none of us is going to look at it, because.....”He sprinted towards the Flashback Light, taking it from Kokichi. Rantaro then flung it towards the wall, making it crash down into several pieces. What was once complete was now broken.

“....Unless there’s a way to fix it, you can’t see the memories through broken glass, right?” Rantaro said

Whatever was inside of them, Rantaro had decided that he didn’t want anyone else to look. Shuichi came to the realization that his chat with Rantaro came as an insurance policy, so that someone else was aware of what he wanted to do. 

“What a devil! And just when I thought the game was getting boring! What a surprise!” Monokuma said

“R-Rantaro, that Flashback Light would’ve given us new memories...!” Shuichi said, while being confused by his actions.

“Well, we can’t keep dwelling on the past, we have to move on and face Monokuma’s trickery ourselves” Rantaro said

Kaito started to become genuinely pissed at Rantaro’s actions, though it was a result of his pent-up anger that Kokichi built up. “That’s wrong! By doing it yourself you’re only making it worse for everyone!” He said 

“You’re more concerned about Monokuma than what you just did” Ryoma pointed out

“Hehehe, this is such a calming and pleasant conversation” Kokichi said. Within his playful nature was his need to be sarcastic most of the time. 

“Everyone, calm down!” K1-B0 said

He shouted as loud as he could so that the rest would listen, it was so strong that Shuichi’s ears started ringing, yet the message remained clear as day. 

“We can have Miu fix the Flashback Light. There’s still a solution to our problem, no matter who’s responsible for it” K1-B0 said

“If you manage to fix it, I suppose the opportunity still stands. I can’t wait to see Rantaro’s mopey face!” Monokuma said. He started to laugh to himself, leaving the group to discuss their new-found issue. Their attention turned to Miu, who was getting nervous from all their stares. 

“Sure, I guess I can do that, if you’d give your everything to me, Keebo” Miu said

“E-Everything?!” K1-B0 said, blushing

“Come on! I’m getting impatient! The lab is waiting!” Miu dragged K1-B0 away from the Dining Hall, with the rest staring in silence. K1-B0 had been taken hostage without any input on his part, what a shame. 

“I have nothing to say. That Flashback Light didn’t need to exist” Rantaro said. With that, he also left the meeting. The original purpose of it, to discuss the Motive Videos, had gone completely off the rails. That was probably for the best, however, since they wouldn’t want to give away information that would put them in danger.

Well, everyone except for Kokichi, that is

“My plan is still in motion! We’re going to watch the Motive Videos in Gonta’s Research Lab!” Kokichi announced

What happened yesterday must’ve evolved into an actual planning scheme. Shuichi didn’t want to imagine what was Kokichi’s true aim, since the tricks of a jokester were very hard to predict and analyze. 

“Don’t you believe that is a foolish thing to do? Most of the students have secrets to keep” Korekiyo said

“It just so happens that I’m a sucker for gossip! It’ll be like a tv show!” Kokichi said excitedly 

“Perhaps I was not clear enough in my phrasing, my apologies” Korekiyo lamented

“Don’t be stupid. Sharing our Motive Videos just like that makes everyone a target” Maki said

“You don’t have anything to worry about if there’s nothing to hide behind, you know?” Kokichi said, staring at Maki closely with every word that came out of his mouth.

Maki too became irritated by Kokichi’s remarks, clenching her fists and walking out of the Dining Hall in anger. Kokichi didn’t stop feeling happy, it was such a good day from his point of view. 

“No Flashback Light, and no Motive Videos either, huh” Ryoma said

“There’s still so much to do, but we plan to keep it a secret, unless someone chooses to volunteer” Angie said. She was speaking of it as if the others already knew, yet Shuichi had no idea.

Pointing at each one of the remaining students, she was picking them out from the group, until finally settling on a choice. “Shuichi! You’re going to help us plan out the event!” Angie said

Did he hear that right, or did Angie just say his name? There were more than a billion words to say, and out of all of them, the one that came out of her mouth was just that, his name. How unfortunate. 

“Huh? Me?” Shuichi stared in confusion at Angie

“Yes! You’re going to be the star of the show!” Angie said. She happily approached Shuichi, grasping his hand and pulling him towards the exit. Himiko followed the two with a confused face, while Shuichi saw that Kokichi was laughing at him while looking back. Kaito, on the other hand, was mouthing something.

“Meet me”

“In the”

“Casino”

“Later”

That’s what he attempted to say. 

“Is Shuichi really a good candidate to be my assistant? He looks nervous” Himiko pointed out

But Angie wasn’t listening, she was so entranced in the potential of her idea that Himiko’s complaints entered one ear and came out the other. Shuichi stopped trying to pull away from Angie’s grasp, simply walking alongside them. 

————————————————-

Himiko’s Research Lab was a wizard’s perfect dream: It contained all sorts of machinery and items that a magician could use. A brewing pot with fire burning below it to mix chemicals, there was also a red cage with several swords impaled on it, and a wheel of fire hanging above everything else.

Worst of all, however, wasthe exhibit of the show: A purple box placed on a flat table, with a saw hanging righ above it. 

“Before we begin, we would like to demonstrate the skills of a new member of our crew!” Himiko said with excitement. 

She said that to an audience consisting of only Angie, who was standing off to the side, acting as a spectator. 

“And just who is this mysterious participant?” Angie said, speaking in a tone resembling that of an innocent child’s. This was acting to its fullest potential. 

“Himiko: One! Two! Three! The stage is set for my assistant, Shuichi Saihara, to be the subject for my magic trick!” Himiko announced

“I’ve never been part of a magic show before” Shuichi pointed out

“There’s nothing to fear, Shuichi. Atua will be with you in both life and death” Angie said

“What a comforting idea” Shuichi thought to him sense with a veil of sarcasm. 

Himiko gestured for Shuichi to get inside the purple box for the Saw Trick. Every step of the way was filled with nerves and anxiousness on his part. For once, this was an actual life-or-death decision.

“Is everyone in the audience ready?” Himiko asked

“Looks like everyone is ready!” Angie said

“Wait, I’m not ready—-!” Shuichi warned

But it was too late, Himiko had started to move the saw. It started to penetrate into the box, and for a brief moment, Shuichi felt true fear.

In reality, however, nothing at all had happened to him. The trick itself was meant to fool the audience into thinking that he had been cut in half by the saw, yet it was him who had been tricked. The mind works in such mysterious ways. 

“Aaah! Shuichi’s legs were cut off! This is unbelievable!” She said, with the tone of a child. 

Clearly, Angie was trying to act surprised for Himiko’s sake, but it was still a wholesome reaction, however fake it may have been. 

“Thank you for your attention! Himiko’s Magic Show has come to an end!” Himiko announced

Shuichi left the purple box the same way he went in. That experience was something he definetly did not want to repeat again. The primal instinct of fear and desperation was too intense for a mere teenager to handle, let alone Shuichi, in his current mental state. 

“What did you think about it? Wasn’t Himiko’s show simply amazing?” Angie said

“Actually, it was safer than I thought it would be. Are you two going to show it off to the group?” Shuichi asked

“No, I was thinking of something more amazing. Everyone has to be confused on how it works, that’s the work of a magician” Himiko said

“I know! Let’s use the gym! We can have the others help prepare it!” Angie said

At least they’re considerate enough to not leave everything to Shuichi. Angie began to sprint around the room in excitement.

“If I don’t want them to see me, then I can do the kinds of tricks that the Great Houdini does, like trying to escape a water tank” Himiko said

That sounded like a very dangerous task for Himiko. Magicians of that caliber had specialized tools and a prepared scenario to prevent injuries. In their case, Monokuma had prepared everything to make it more dangerous, so an activity that would be normally dangerous in a magic show could prove fatal in this context. 

“But the point is that there’s no danger, like the Saw Trick, right? So it doesn’t have to involve chains” Shuichi clarified

“Excellent idea! You’re becoming such a good assistant! We will require your services tomorrow, so be prepared!” Angie said

Shuichi nodded. He had gotten used to the idea of helping the other students, though being aware that he didn’t trust them initially. This was the process of friendship, born out of misunderstandings.

——————————————————

Just as scheduled, Shuichi headed towards the Casino Area. It was filled with dozens upon dozens of luxurious machines to play with. To Shuichi’s dissappointment, they were Monokuma-themed, so the authenticity just wasn’t there. 

“So? What game do we try first?” Shuichi asked

“How about the Slot Machine? I’ve never played it, but it looks interesting” Shuichi said

He pointed at the blue Slot Machines not far from them. They had large screens that displayed the current roll, and a counter for the score. 

“Good choice, Shuichi! But I bet you’re only saying that because you don’t need skill to win against me!” Kaito said

”I didn’t know you were that good at these kinds of games” Shuichi said 

Kaito took the Slot Machines on the left, while Shuichi sat down to play those on the right. Though it was true that Slot Machines didn’t require any skill, being capable of playing so many rounds without winning more than a few points was an achievement in and of itself.

Kaito walked over to see Shuichi’s progress, becoming surprised at how low it was. 

“Only twenty points?! So you’ve only lined up the Monokubs one time?! I didn’t know that could happen!” Kaito said, shocked by what he saw. 

“I’m just warming up, Kaito, we’ll see how the match ends” Shuichi said

At his response, Kaito gave him a thumbs up, and ran to his seat, not wanting to lose against a rookie. 

In his current situation, Shuichi needed his luck to balance out so that he could win. Kaito’s lucky break was just that, fortune, while Shuichi’s bad luck streak was only temporary, or at least, that’s what he hoped. 

And then it happened.

Shuichi was amazed to see that a random pull landed a full line of Monokuma 7’s. All five were lined up in front of his eyes, and he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. From his measly twenty points, his counter rose up to 10020. 

His gloomy expression changed to one of sheer happiness, due to finally having luck on his side. Kaito, feeling satisfied by his score, settled down next to Shuichi.

“How did you do? Was it close?” Kaito said. Upon seeing the counter, he was so impressed by it that he immediately tried to high-five Shuichi, doing it fast enough for him to be caught off-guard.

“I knew you could do it! You just needed a little push, that’s all!” Kaito said, getting pumped up. 

Something like luck and karma wasn’t supposed to improve with effort, but Shuichi was glad that Kaito was enjoying it, so there was no need to tell him that. 

“I know we just spent time here in the Casino, but let’s go train in the courtyard tonight! You can’t say no to that!” Kaito said

“If it’s at midnight, then I suppose you have other things to do, right?” Shuichi said

“Oh, you just reminded me! Someone wanted to meet me here too!” Kaito said

“Huh? Who was it?” Shuichi said

“I just remembered I needed to talk with someone, maybe I’ll remember who it was when I see them come here” Kaito said

“Meanwhile, prepare yourself for our first training session, it’s going to be intense!” Kaito said

“I’ll look forward to it” Shuichi said

With that, Shuichi took for the exit of the Casino Area. It had been a liberating experience that distracted him from his everyday problems. One more of them wouldn’t hurt at all. 

While walking through the center of the Courtyard, he saw Maki walking towards him from the opposite direction. Normally, she had a dismissive and serious expression, yet this time was different: Her face was cold and frigid, having a thousand-yard stare while looking at the Casino. 

Shuichi attempted to greet Maki, but was cut-off by her with a glare. It was an unreasonable reaction for such a simple gesture. But he could only guess what her motive for acting like that was. 

Because of that, no words were spoken between the two. There was only silence. 

Perhaps Maki didn’t expect everyone to hang out so casually for as long as they have, so she started to develop a shy front? That was certainly a possibility. 

Yet Shuichi kept his mind occupied with his other tasks: Angie had meant for him to help Himiko with the show, but he was fully aware that they were both going ahead with it regardless of what he did. Shuichi could only hope that they could pull it off. 

—————————————————-

In the entrance of the Academy was Korekiyo. He was lost in thought, observing the structure of the building. Shuichi didn’t have the opportunity to speak with him closely until this point, so this was his chance.

“Hey, Korekiyo..” Shuichi greeted him

Breaking out from his concentration, Korekiyo took a glimpse of Shuichi’s frame, noting his presence.

“Whatever is the matter, Shuichi? Do you wish to speak with me about the beauty of this Academy?” Korekiyo said

“I’ve been meaning to ask you about someone you care about” Shuichi said

This particular tidbit of conversation caught Korekiyo’s full attention. He went from being slightly disinterested to having been caught in the topic at hand. 

“And what is it that you desire to understand about it?” Korekiyo asked

“That person...Why do you like them so much?” Shuichi wondered

“Oh, you wouldn’t begin to understand it, even in your wildest dreams. My sister isn’t someone that can be recorded in the history books with accuracy, the mere mention of her existence makes me shiver inside. Yet, I love her with my very being” Korekiyo replied

“She must’ve been kind to you, someone you could depend on” Shuichi said

He was starting to see it. It was a sensation that was mutual between him and Kaede. Shuichi depended on her to calm his nerves, while Kaede could become more down-to-earth by thinking rationally and exchanging ideas that contrasted each other.That’s why it was very important for him to help her, after all. He owed Kaede that much. 

“No, it was she who depended on me, on numerous occasions. Her life was spent bound to a lonely bed, and I wished to bring her company” Korkeiyo said

“By the by, Shuichi, why did you desire to know about her?” Korekiyo asked

“I’ve been hearing a lot about families and siblings, so I guess I wanted to know if you had any friends” Shuichi said

“It is my goal in life to provide my sister with friends. Without them, she would have such a lonely existence, as I noted with yourself” Korekiyo said

”Kaito and Kaede are my friends. But I think everyone here can be friendly with each other. I like to think I’m not that lonely..” Shuichi said

“It seems that you lack the familial love that envelops a child during their youth. That is understandable. There is no need to hide it with façades.” Korekiyo said

He waved Shuichi goodbye, being satisfied with what he heard. 

“This has been such a stimulating discussion, though I’m disappointed to say that my interests now lie into inspecting the pool myself. It is still open at this hour” Korekiyo said

“There’s a pool on this floor?” Shuichi said, yet not sure if his idea was correct.

“It’s outside the Academy, in the courtyard. You should see it when you have the time” Korekiyo pointed out

Korekiyo went for the exit and left the Academy. If he was right, then there were still others areas that he needed to visit, being impressed at the fact that so much had been opened since then. 

Surprisingly, Shuichi thought, Korekiyo was much more of a decent person than he had realized. Someone who loves their sister to the point where they’d bare their burdens openly was not who he thought Korekiyo was. It seemed that, at least when it comes to family, he was willing to put them above himself. 

With nothing else to do, and his dorm room nearby. He decided to wait it out inside it. Following Korekiyo to the pool would be awkward, since they just spoke, and going alone to the upper floors ran the risk of bumping into Himiko and Angie, who would goad him into joining another one of their magic shows. 

To make things worse, it was the fact that Kaede’s confession had caused everyone to stop being “friends” and start being “allies”. Despite there having been no murders, the group dynamic had shifted even more so. Everyone wanted to keep to their own devices, or hang out with those they trust.

But that’s why he had agreed to meet with Kaito at nighttime. It was important for everyone to be on good terms with each other, or else....No, such a thing was unlikely to happen, even under these circumstances. 

———————————————————  
Nighttime approached faster than Shuichi had anticipated. Whatever Kaito was doing took him a while, because it was getting dark by the time he came to his room. 

No one else was in the courtyard. Naturally, because it was late at night. They took a spot in the grass, and settled down. 

“I took care of everything I needed to do. But now I’m ready to break some bones!” Kaito said

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, at least we can warm up first” Shuichi said 

Kaito opened up the training session by doing some push-ups with Shuichi. Due to his lack of training, the latter could only attempt to keep up with him, though the competition was much more even since Kaito started to become tired. 

”Any other ideas?” Kaito asked

“If you want to train more, we can do push-ups instead” Shuichi said

Kaito nodded, and they changed positions, training as much as they could. This was almost rutinary for Kaito, Shuichi thought, since he had gone through the preliminary exams to become an astronaut. After a while, both of them expressed their exhaustion, and began to rest in the grass once more.

“Let’s talk a bit, just sit down right there” Kaito said

He had been calmed by the amount of exercise they did. It didn’t seem to faze Kaito in the slightest. 

“Whose Motive Video did you get?” Kaito inquired

“I didn’t really get to tell you, but I receieved your Motive Video” Shuichi said

“And what did you see?” Kaito said

“It was a video of your grandparents. They really wanted to see if you were okay” Shuichi said 

“Yeah, my old man worries too much sometimes. As for my grandma, she’s always been there to help me, so it’s no wonder she’s worried about me” Kaito said

“What about your family, are they just as cool?” Kaito

“I guess so. My uncle takes care of me while doing my detective work, and my parents work in the creative industry” Shuichi said

“Whoa! You should’ve told me sooner! Just think of all the amazing stories they could tell! Still, that means that you didn’t meet them often, right?” Kaito said

“It’s not like that. I just couldn’t get to see them as much because they work overseas” Shuichi said

“Your uncle must be a great guy, for him to have taken care of you” Kaito said

“Ah, the cases I take aren’t related to murders, they involve a lot more paperwork. It’s a bit boring, but my uncle’s policy is that everything is settled after everyone’s happy” Shuichi said 

Kaito became silent, putting his hands behind his back, he attempted to grasp that which lay beyond earth, the cosmos that humanity was only starting to discover.

“Once we kick Monokuma’s ass, we’re going to meet our families again, no matter what anyone has to say about it!” Kaito said confidently

Their conversation had taken so long that Shuichi forgot what he actually wanted to ask Kaito. 

“Actually, whose Motive Video did you get, Kaito?” Shuichi asked

“...Is it okay with you if I don’t say?” Kaito said, scratching his neck

That couldn’t be a good sign. He had known Kaito for more than a week, and his attitude was always to bear the truth on his chest for all to see. Were the contents of his Motive Video really that bad?

“On second thought, I don’t think you should. We’re trying to stop anyone from having a motive, after all” Shuichi said 

“Well, that’s a relief to hear. It’s nothing serious or anything, I just didn’t feel like getting all sentimental” Kaito said, letting out a nervous chuckle. 

“Oh, that reminds me, did you go speak to Kaede again?” Kaito asked 

“I rung the doorbell to her room yesterday, but she didn’t answer the door” Shuichi said, lamenting himself

“That’s strange, Maki told me that Kaede had gone outside by herself. It’s the reason she talked to me back in the Casino, too” Kaito said 

That couldn’t possibly be true. Shuichi had been alert for any signs of her presence, since he was so worried about her, so for Kaede to show up once, and then disappear again. A pit started to form in Shuichi’s stomach. It was a very empty feeling. 

“Why did she tell you that?” Shuichi asked

“I can only guess. She seemed very lonely, and after the upper floors opened up, Maki refused to hang out with me, even after I asked her to” Kaito said 

“No, I mean, what did she get out of speaking to you about Kaede?” Shuichi asked

“Like I said, I don’t know. Maybe she just wanted me to go there in person, Maki can be that introverted at times” Kaito said, shrugging.

‘Go there in person’

Maybe Shuichi’s hunch really was correct after all. It had sprouted since he saw Maki standing guard outside her Research Lab, and how it reminded him of Kaede’s absence. It was a parallel that he couldn’t get rid of. 

He had to get there. No time to waste. 

Shuichi started to walk away from the courtyard. Kaito was left incredibly confused by the sight of his friend suddenly running away to who-knows-where. 

“I’ll be back! I promise!” Shuichi said

He shouted back at Kaito, unsure if he had heard him. 

The trip to the third floor happened in a flash. Though it took a couple of minutes, for Shuichi it was but an instant. Before he knew it, he was standing in the hallway where Maki’s Research Lab was.

However, Maki seemed absent from her usual position. She was nowhere to be found in the area, so there was a sensation of quietness and morbid tranquility. 

The door to Maki’s Research Lab was open. It creaked ocassionally every few moments, which gave him the creeps. With the utmost discretion, Shuichi slowly opened the door, and what awaited him was....

A room just as dark and cold as its owner. 

It was covered from top to bottom with dangerous weapons of all kinds, which lined up the walls and lockers inside it. Airsoft guns and daggers were on display, realistic enough to cause serious harm to whoever it struck. There was no time to process something like that all at once, and the room had Kaede lying down on the floor, tied down with a rope. 

_Wait...K-Kaede?!_ He started to go into a panic, as he refused to acknowledge what he was seeing.

She was unconscious, not even attempting to budge away from the bindings. To make things worse, the rope itself wasn't exactly a rope: Upon closer inspection, the color and shape was that of the net in Ryoma´s Research Lab. Maybe something happened to him too? He didn't even want to entertain the thought. 

He shook Kaede in an attempt to make her move on her own, but his attempts were in vain. Fortunately, there was no blood on her, so he could confirm that she was, in fact, alive. 

“Kaede! Please wake up! We need to get out of here!” Shuichi said, but there was no reply.

A discreet noise, low enough for it to blend into his pleas, but loud enough for him to distinguish it from the others. 

The door was opening. Maki had a quick absence, but her reason for it was not clear. Despite that, she was right there, staring down Shuichi with a death glare. 

“What are you doing here?” She asked him coldly

“M-Maki….” Shuichi said, with a trembling voice. Connecting the dots was already hard as is. 

Before he knew it, Maki was aiming right at his abdomen with a dagger of her own. He dodged the first hit, only barely letting go of Kaede, attempting to run towards the exit. 

Shuichi let out a scream. He had been struck in his left leg by a knife, which cleanly slashed through his flesh. He looked in horror at the damage caused: It was close enough to have broken his leg entirely, so his movement was severely limited. 

“What do you know about me? Why have you been following me all this time?” Maki kept interrogating him as she ignored his injuries. 

“I don’t know....!” Shuichi said, grasping his damaged leg and clenching his teeth in pain. It was hard not to “I don’t know what you’re saying...!”

Maki stepped on his injured leg, causing him to let out yet another scream. In reflex, he slammed his head against the floor, causing him both a strong headache and the need to vomit.

His body went limp for a few seconds out of exhaustion. He couldn't see where Maki was due to his lack of movement. Maki took gentle steps towards Shuichi´s field of vision from the side. 

None of this made any sense to him. Why was Maki trying to murder him in a cold-blooded ambush? Why was Kaede here? Why!? Why!? Why!?

Click. Click. 

Maki had loaded something in her hands. From Shuichi´s point of view, whatever she was holding was above her, whatever could it be?

Shuichi glanced upright, only to see a loaded crossbow aimed right at his pained face. His eyes widened in horror as he realized what was about to happen.

“….Why?” Shuichi said, his entire world shaking before him “Why?! Why?! Why us?! What did we do to you?!” 

Maki´s expression was very different from earlier. Though she was still silent, she showed signs of a cracking front, one that would be followed by grief and sadness. 

“Don’t play dumb” Maki scoffed at him, though she was much more disgusted at the emptiness in his words “All this time, I’ve been onto your actions, I’ve known about them all that time....” “So, that’s why.....That’s why.....” Maki’s finger reached for the trigger as she herself was starting to breathe heavily, as if disturbed by something. “You have to die. Do it so Kaito can be safe” Maki said coldly, before backing away from him. 

As he thought that Maki had decided to give up on him, an arrow danced through the air as it left the crossbow, piercing straight through Shuichi’s head. His craneum only knew pain now. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. 

He wanted it to stop. It had submerged him into a world of darkness, yet he could still feel what was happening to him even as he slipped into an unconscious state.

Scattered voices and screams was all he heard. Incomprehensible shilouettes stood in front of him as if he was seeing a painting. Right beside red and black, there was purple and white. They both moved in an undescribable frenzy.

“Ma....ki....stop it!”

“....uichi!....damnit...!”

Those colors, covered by a red hue, were suddenly gone, and the world became devoid of the life of Shuichi Saihara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, a new problem has officially arrived! But just what was the cause? Who are the ones involved in it this time? It’s too early for him to know for sure at this point.
> 
> I know that the upload schedule for these previous chapters have been very fast, but I plan to have the next ones come out every Saturday/Sunday instead, so look forward to them next week! 
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


	9. Chapter 2: Eyes of Contemplation

“Show’s over Shuichi! You can come out now!”

“Was it scary?”

Shuichi took time to react to what was happening around him. He had willingly decided not to open his eyes. It wasn’t necessary, because he knew that when he did, he would be back in his own room, and Kaede would be waiting for him. 

Yes, Shuichi had died a total of four times thus far. They say that three time’s the charm, so it’s only fair that this be his chance to finally rest in peace, alongside the souls of the deceased. 

Unfortunately, he was forced to acknowledge reality. Two small hands reached for his head, and he felt a heavy sensation as he was pulled out from wherever he was lying down in. This caused him to hit his head, forcefully waking him up. 

The sight of Angie’s head covering his field of vision wasn’t what he would expect to see upon coming back all the way there. Something about it made him feel unsettled. 

“Himiko’s show must’ve left a strong impression on you, she is an excellent magician!” Angie said

This isn’t right.

No, this couldn’t be right at all. 

Shuichi’s only sense of comfort had remained in the fact that, even though he had gotten killed, he would’ve been sent back right to the day Monokuma’s timer ran out for good, and everyone was executed. This also meant that he would undo his conversation with Kaede as well, so that they could talk again like normal, if even for a little while longer.

But as he realized, Shuichi wasn’t in his room, but in Himiko’s Research Lab once again. This sense of repetition was a feeling that he wouldn’t want to get acquainted with. All it brought him was confusion and suffering, as he failed to keep up with the current series of events. 

Shuichi clutched his head in pain, clenching his teeth with intensity. It took him a few seconds to get used to the fact that his leg was actually intact, and not broken into two. 

Himiko sat down in front ot Shuichi with a worried expression. 

“Maybe my magic was too strong for you, that’s too bad...” Himiko said

She didn’t understand, didn’t she? Even if what Himiko said wasn’t true for her, it was Shuichi’s reality that he kept getting brought back from death due to forces that he couldn’t comprehend. That was the real magic trick.

“I still don’t know how your Saw Trick works” Shuichi wondered to himself

“Sorry..If I tell you, you’ll be immune to it. My assistant needs to feel like another part of the stage” Himiko said

He got up from lying down, hurting from the stabbing. Shuichi didn’t want to ruin their day by moping about it, anyway. 

“Good luck on the show, Himiko” Shuichi said 

He looked back at her while Angie was busy circling the room with absolute glee, having just come up with the idea for the plan in the Gym, and hurried away from there, not giving Angie any time to catch him. 

—————————————————————————

Shuichi’s mind had only started to digest all of the information he had to take in after arriving at Maki’s Research Lab: Sometime in the near future, she was planning on kidnapping Kaede, though he didn’t have a clear cause for it. Kaito was a potential motive, but she had only said that as if it was the reason for targetting him in particular. Kaede had nothing to do with such a warning.

Then, there was the fact that he was alive. At first, it might seem like a relief to know that there were still more chances to try again from scratch, but Shuichi was starting to grow paranoid from the thought of using such an ability again. The physical pain he felt didn’t go away as soon as he died: No, it remained imprinted onto his brain like a scar had been carved on it. Expecting someone to get used to death was simply unfathomable. 

But the most pressing issue lied in the realization that the moments he had spent with Kaito had been erased, and if the time-frame for Kaede’s capture was as he thought, then he had to meet with her as soon as possible. 

Shuichi decided to arrive to Kaede’s dorm room first. Partially from the fear of experiencing such a painful death once more, but also due to Kaito’s comment that Kaede had left her room a single time before being dragged away. 

Ding. Ding.

He hoped with his entire being that, for only this particular occassion, someone would finally give him what he wanted, even if it was just too much to ask. 

And there it was. 

The door opened slowly. Kaede’s expression was one of concern and melancholy for better times. She was peeking from the side of the door, so her frame wasn’t fully visible. 

“Is that you...Shuichi?” Kaede said

“Ka...Kaede....” Shuichi said

Not leaving her time to keep the door closed like that, he opened it himself, and embraced Kaede in a warm hug. It was done from raw emotion that Shuichi couldn’t help but release. After all, he hadn’t been able to comfort Kaede since she started to feel much more depressed than before. 

A few seconds passed, and Shuichi, realizing the meaning of his actions, let go of Kaede in embarrassment, who was left blushing as well. However, she still expressed sadness somehow. 

She looked to see if anyone was behind Shuichi, and seeing that he was alone, she let out a breath of relief. 

“Come in, I can’t have you waiting outside much longer” Kaede said 

Without a second to waste, Shuichi entered her room. Just like he had expected, it highly resembled his own to an uncanny degree. Monokuma’s sense for unique interor design was lacking, it seemed. 

Kaede settled on one of the chairs. Shuichi chose not to sit down out of respect. She was resting her head in the top of the backrest, and her gaze drifted around the room, rather than focusing on Shuichi. 

“I know you wanted to talk to me yesterday, it was dumb of me to not say anything...” Kaede said

“I’m just glad you’re okay. You had us all really worried about you” Shuichi said

“My idea was to come greet you again in the morning, but....” Kaede said

She looked away from Shuichi, instead staring at the bed in front of her. Kaede too had recieved a Motive Video, though something about it made her feel uneasy. “Truth is, when I saw who it belonged to, it made me reconsider that entirely”

With curiosity, Shuichi approached the bed. He took the Motive Video in his hands while Kaede looked at it closely in anticipation. It wasn’t an expression of excitement, but of worry. Their eyes met, and she nodded at him with as permssion to look at its contents. His hands reached for the Motive Video, with an intent to see it.

Shuichi moved his fingers through the device slowly. He waited for a few seconds, until finally the Motive Video was turned on for him to see. But what he heard coming from it made him start to sweat, and his hands shook with nervousness. It explained everything, yet solved absolutely nothing. 

“Alright! Back by popular demand, it’s time for the Motive Video! Who’s the most important person in *your* life? And now, without further ado......” Monokuma said

“This is—-Maki’s....” Shuichi said

“Maki Harukawa, the Ultimate Assassin.....Forced into her career since childhood, she became a prodigious mercenary! I’m so proud—-!” Monokuma announced

Shuichi dropped the Motive Video from his hands. He was staring wide-eyed at it, not because of what Monokuma said about Maki, which is something that he was aware of already.

It was because Kaede was the one who had it, and if Maki’s secrecy was anything to go by, then the answer to his question has arrived, however horrifying it may be for him to know. 

“Did you exchange it with anyone else?” Shuichi asked

There had to be a solution. Please. Kaede had left before this moment because she wanted to get Maki’s Motive Video. Yes, that had to be it.

“No, I haven’t left my room at all...And I didn’t eat anything after breakfast, too...” Kaede said. She was very hungry.

That made sense. If Kaede had isolated herself from the others, then that meant that she didn’t have time to go to the Dining Hall and have something to eat. 

“We can go eat in Kirumi’s Lab later, for now we need to—“ Shuichi said

Knock. Knock.

At that moment, both of them froze in place. Kaede, because she feared that Maki was standing beyond the door, and Shuichi, because he knew that was the case.

Kaede pressed her finger against her lips, gesturing for Shuichi to stay quiet. She slowly walked towards the door, with careful steps, only opening it to the slightest extent. 

“Who is it?” Kaede asked

A single eye peered out from a corner of the door. It’s red hue intensifying its grasp with a single stare. 

“You know why I’m here. Open the door” Maki ordered Kaede. She looked back at Shuichi, who shook his head in disagreement. 

Knock. Knock. Knock. 

Kaede decided to close the door shut right in front of Maki. However....

BANG!

Maki slammed the door to the side at full force, which startled both Shuichi and Kaede. She didn’t have time to waste by messing around.

She went for Kaede’s neck, pushing her to the floor as she restrained her from moving. Her look was one of anger and disgust. 

“Let go of Kaede” Shuichi said

“You’ll have to give me the Motive Video first” She demanded. Observing the room, Maki located the device not far from Shuichi. She signaled for him to throw it to her, and he was forced to cede.

With the Motive Video in her hands, she didn’t not let go of Kaede, before getting close to Kaede’s ear and whispering something. Whatever it was, it made Kaede’s eyes go wide, dropping her resistance. Maki finally let loose her grasp on her, walking away from the room. In order to not alert the others, she closed the door with caution once more.

The way Kaede and Shuichi were left standing was worse than earlier. They had been attacked by Maki, with Shuichi seeing nothing but the silhouette of a demonic girl. 

“Kaede! Are you alright?!” Shuichi said desperately. He walked over to Kaede and knelt down, worried beyond belief. 

“I’m fine...I guess...” Kaede said

Breathing heavily, Kaede had gone from being worried to becoming increasingly more anxious by the minute. She focused on Shuichi’s presence, then walked towards him. Kaede then began to push him from behind, so that he would move to the door.

“What did she say?” Shuichi asked 

“You need to be careful around her. She has her eyes on us” Kaede said

With that, Shuichi was left standing right outside Kaede’s room, who had closed it shut once more. However, she opened it slightly again.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you: Could you ask Kirumi to bring me my breakfast?” Kaede said

“Alright, it’ll be there on your doorstep” Shuichi said 

The light in Kaede’s eyes came back, and she gave a slight smile to Shuichi. Though their reunion had been foiled by Maki, things were starting to look up again.

————————————————————————-

“If I’m being honest, I do not understand where that comment came from” Kirumi said

Like he had said earlier, Shuichi had decided to head to Kirumi’s Research Lab in order to bring Kaede’s breakfast to her. Its owner was busy sweeping the hallway, but was done in such short time that Shuichi doubted if it even happened to begin with. 

Kirumi had agreed to prepare her a meal with the leftovers from yesterday, and Shuichi was patiently waiting for it. However, a stray thought had developed inside his head, and he couldn’t get it off his head without discussing it with someone.

Naturally, he wanted to know more about everyone else’s Motive Videos. Something that Kirumi didn’t take very well. 

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, I was just curious” Shuichi said 

“Are you planning on going along with Kokichi’s scheme?” Kirumi asked 

She was starting to become much more skeptical. With a thinking pose, she pondered whether it would be right to continue the discussion or not. Kokichi was a crafty devil, after all.

“No, he didn’t seem like he wanted to include me. It was my own idea” Shuichi clarified

“I see....That is an interesting topic of conversation, though I’m afraid I don’t know much about it myself. You may not be aware, but I haven’t taken a look at my Motive Video yet” Kirumi said

“Not everyone is going to be fine with following along with Monokuma’s plans, I assume” Shuichi said

“Precisely. That’s why it is necessary for us to be on the lookout for any suspicious activities” Kirumi concurred

It seemed that Kirumi had no interest in checking the Motive Video that she recieved just yet. For now, its contents would remain a mystery. 

——————————————————-

She had handed Shuichi a plate with meat, vegetables, and a glass of water. He carried it around with both hands, careful for it to not fall out. 

“Farewell. If you wish to spend time in my Research Lab, I hope I can be of assistance in your stay” Kirumi said

A wave-of-hand was Kirumi’s way of politely sending her regards. No matter who it was, she was confident in treating everyone with the appropiate amount of care.

Were it not for the fact that Kaede’s situation was apparent, he would’ve looked like a butler. Shuichi couldn’t afford to drop the plate, or else both Kaede and Kirumi would be furious at him. 

One of the people who passed by him was Rantaro. He looked as though he was about to call his attention, but prevented himself from doing so. Amami had caused them enough problems as it was, and Shuichi looked to be busy as is.

Taking several trips to the Dorm Rooms seemed rutinary. It was a place of comfort that many students used to gather, and had a proximity to their rooms that they just couldn’t get from being in the Dining Hall. 

And just like last time, Korekiyo had arrived to the lower floor of the Dorm Rooms. Interestingly enough, he showed much more interest in starting a conversation with Shuichi.

“I suppose that the plate you are holding is for Kaede? She told me to tell you to bring it next to her doorstep, but refused to come outside. What an enigmatic girl she is...” Korekiyo said

After what happened, Shuichi couldn’t blame her. She was smarter than him when it came to staying out of trouble, though he lamented that things had to come to that. 

“She needs time to rest. I’m sure she’ll come out eventually” Shuichi said

“You know, she reminds me of someone I know very well, and I can say the same for you, Shuichi. The resemblance in scenarios is certainly amusing” Korekiyo said 

Yes, Korekiyo had spoken of his sister, who had been forced to live a bed-ridden life, as someone who he provided support for. Though unlike Korekiyo, Shuichi didn’t want to think of it as a permanent situation.

In any case, Shuichi left the plate as instructed while speaking with Korekiyo. He rung the doorbell in order to inform Kaede about it, rather than knocking. 

As he turned around from putting down the plate, he saw such a regrettable sight: 

Maki Harukawa. She was in the Dorm Room quarters as well, in the upper section dedicated to the female students, and was closely looking at him. 

Had she been doing so this entire time, and he never noticed? An idea such as that sent a shiver down Shuichi’s spine. 

Someone came running into the Dorm Room quarters in a hurry. Shuichi didn’t have time to guess, it was obvious who that person was. He had left them hanging by themselves, after all. 

“Hey, Shuichi! What are you doing here? I told you to go to the Casino with me!” Kaito said 

Of all times to have to explain something to Kaito, this was certainly the worst one. Maki had been clear when stating that she wanted him away from Kaito. 

He didn’t have the strenght to explain, only looking at him with a pretend smile on his face. 

“Are you making fun of me? This isn’t the time for that...” Kaito said

“N-No, I-It’s just—-“ Shuichi said, hesitating.

Maki’s eyes were like daggers being stabbed onto his body. With each word that left his mouth, her stone cold face became more and more disgusted by him. 

He had to stop himself from talking as much as possible. On top of that, Kaito seemed very insistent on speaking with him about his absence.

“I hope I am not interrupting anything of importance, but I believe that you are mistaken, Kaito” Korekiyo announced

“Is that true?” Kaito asked

Shuichi nodded, looking away from Kaito. It was unnatural for him to be so shy, but it wasn’t like he was doing it out of choice. 

“Shuichi here was helping Kaede by bringing her a meal. It was such a beautiful moment to witness, I’m glad I was there to see it in person” Korekiyo said

“That’s okay with me. I know she was feeling down since yesterday, and you didn’t get a chance to talk to her because of our arrangement, right?” Kaito asked

Those were Kaito’s attempts to get Shuichi to explain himself, but he was still very nervous. Even so, it appeared that Kaito’s response had been satisfactory, because she walked away from her spot and down the stairs. 

Kaito and Maki’s eyes met. She looked at him with an expression of relief veiled in seriousness, before moving on and disappearing beyond the hallway. 

Shuichi was relieved to see that Maki had left them alone. She was also the reason for Kaede’s sudden shut-in attitude, so there was no denying that she had brought them more problems than solutions. 

“Maki has her eyes on you, Shuichi! If this keeps going, maybe *I’ll* be the one playing catch-up!” Kaito said, jokingly

Kaito put his hands on Shuichi’s shoulders, shaking him around in excitement. A jumble of emotions, Shuichi tried his best to keep up with such a positive aura. 

‘Maki has her eyes on you’ was true in every sense of the word. There was a rift being created between him and Kaito. If it was out of jealousy, a previous grudge, or simply anger, she had no intention of clarifying anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied. 
> 
> Though my schedule to have an update on Saturday/Sunday still stands, I decided to add smaller (plot-relevant) chapters in-between the longer updates, so that the chapter lenght didn’t seem like it dragged on forever. I can’t promise to do that all the time though, just when I feel the pacing is off. 
> 
> If Kaito has something going for him, is the fact that everyone is obsessed with becoming his friend. And yet, a true spaceman’s best friend is his spaceship, forever his companion in the depths of space. 
> 
> Regardless, I hope you’ve been enjoying these updates. Your opinion is always appreciated!
> 
> Thanks for Reading!
> 
> Updated Note: Later comments have reminded me that some of you might be confused on the mechanics for this story, so I’ll take a second to explain them concisely:
> 
> Return By Death isn’t necessarily an ability you know you have until you die, there’s no easy way to tell. Secondly, and as you may have noticed, the times that Shuichi comes back to are sometimes the exact same point in time, and sometimes they’re “updated” based on his progress. Re:Zero doesn’t have a clear *canon* answer on what triggers that, but I have my own idea for it....


	10. Chapter 2: Empathy

It was very difficult for Shuichi to formulate a way out of this particular situation. Unlike other times, he didn’t have a good grasp on what everyone else was doing. 

Kaito wasn’t the type of person to keep prying on someone’s secrets. Instead, he trusted them to tell him all about it, which is why he wanted to get the truth out of Shuichi’s own mouth. 

“I understand what’s going on now. We can change our plans for tomorrow” Kaito said in a reassuring tone.

“But wouldn’t it be better if you talked with Maki instead? She keeps following you” Shuichi said

“She’s not that good of a stalker, then. Maki told me to meet with her in the Casino, but then she left. Both of you were here instead, so it left me wondering...Actually, maybe I *will* speak with her, this issue keeps bugging me” Kaito said, shrugging

“See ya!” Kaito said, waving back at Shuichi and running back to speak with Maki.

“See you later...!” Shuichi said, not wanting to say anything out of line. 

Because of his fixation on Maki, Shuichi didn’t realize that he had been left by himself again. Korekiyo was probably headed for the pool, but a similar excuse could be applicable now: embarrassment. 

For the first time in a while, Shuichi felt like happiness had just been robbed from him. Going along your day with someone watching your every move was already stressful as is, and now Kaito believes that he wanted to ditch their meeting altogether. 

Brainstorming possible ideas, he arrived at the thought of helping Kokichi and Gonta with the “event” in their Research Lab. He knew that Kirumi would find it strange for him to go back on his words, but he was left with little choice but to do so. 

——————————

Upon arriving to Gonta’s Research Lab, he was surprised to see that, though Gonta was missing from his own lab, Kokichi was there by himself. He had a stash of devices put on the table, and was shuffling them around without a care in the world.

“Kokichi, where did you get those Motive Videos?” Shuichi asked

“Oh, you don’t have one? They come in all shapes and sizes, from blue to pink to grey! Go ahead, take your pick!” Kokichi said, showcasing his collection.

“I’m not sure if I approve of you taking these from the others, Kokichi” Shuichi said

“Come oooon! Don’t ruin the fun for me! We’ll just be taking a little peek here and there. You know, find something interesting while we’re at it!” Kokichi said, looking closely at the Motive Videos, miming his own impression. 

At least that assured Shuichi that he had *just* gotten ahold of them. Had it been a moment too late, who knows how much flack the little jokester would’ve gotten. 

“But how did you manage to get so many? And who do they belong to?” Shuichi asked

“As you know, K1-B0 is brainless and leaves his room open for visits. Angie and Himiko were too focused on the show to care about their Motive Videos, and Tsumugi wanted to trade with me, but I said “no, that’s so dumb” and ran away with it, snatching it right in front of her!” Kokichi said

“So that makes Angie, Himiko, K1-B0 and Tsumugi the ones whose Motive Videos we have on hand” Shuichi thought to himself, while reviewing their design. “Assuming that they also recieved different ones, then their contents should show who the owners are”

“I haven’t turned them on yet” Kokichi said “But that’s because I’m keeping my promise! I know you’re curious about who’s going to show up in them, so help me with my showcase!” 

“Don’t expect me to agree with it just like that, and forget the Motive Videos, why isn’t Gonta with you?” Shuichi asked, worried about the giant. 

“Don’t speak so casually about my loyal minion. You can be punished for that  
if you run your mouth, silly” Kokichi said

“So this is more about him helping you rather than just being a volunteer?” Shuichi asked

“Hehehe, of course I won’t tell you what he’s actually doing, Shuichi. It’s an organization secret” Kokichi said

“That, or you’re lying about knowing where he is” Shuichi pointed out. 

“Am I? Do you not have *complete* trust in what I say?” Kokichi asked

“Excuse me, is Kokichi here?” 

Entering Gonta’s Research Lab, it was Tsumugi Shirogane. She had been looking for him for a while now, and she wasn’t really pleased to have found him, either. 

“I’m not! I’m running away from here as we speak!” He began to hurry towards the exit, but was stopped by Tsumugi, who saw the Motive Videos lying around.

“Kokichi! You also stole the others’ Motive Videos, didn’t you? I can’t believe it!” Tsumugi scolded him. 

“I didn’t “steal” them, they’re mine now. If you want to trade with me, it better be an Extra Rare Card, and I know you don’t have them!”

“I...have some of those, but they’re at home. Do you accept a lower rank? Just a Rare Card can do?” Tsumugi asked

“No.” Kokichi said, smiling

Tsumugi and Kokichi began to fight for her Motive Video while their hands were pulling from opposite sides. It was like watching children brawl in a playground. 

“We don’t have to fight like that. Can’t we just see who they belong to instead?” Shuichi asked them. 

“No can do. Don’t think I want you taking all the credit” Kokichi said

“Listen. Himiko, Angie, K1-B0 and Tsumugi are just four of the students we have the Motive Videos for. If we find out who has whose, then it won’t be necessary to search for them when we see them together, since you’ll know who to ask and who to trade with. Is that clear?” Shuichi said

“Nice! You’re pulling in more work than Gonta ever did since his first day on the job!“ Kokichi said “But where do we start?”

“Ryoma should be the first one we ask, since he’s not talking to anyone else right now...I think” Tsumugi said, pondering to herself.

No one there wanted to mention it, but there was an implication to be made about the fact that Ryoma was a lone wolf. To be fair, it didn’t hurt to bring him some company, even if it wasn’t the kind of people he normally expected to see. 

—————————

The miniature tennis player was hanging out with Gonta in his own Research Lab. They had been standing on the field for a tennis game, which had a net in the middle. Such an observation made him feel uneasy, remembering what happened earlier.

“Hey, Hey, Ryoma! Why’re you hanging out with Gonta? Don’t you feel ashamed of yourself?” Kokichi said

“Leave us alone. This isn’t a discussion you want to meddle in, Kokichi” Ryoma said

“That just makes me want to meddle *more*, though” Kokichi said “So if you refuse, Gonta will tell me anyway”

“Gonta wanted to talk with Ryoma because of his ‘Motive Video’ device” Gonta said “He said that it belonged to—-“

“Gonta” Ryoma said “You don’t have to say it, let me follow-up with that”

“So can you tell us? Who is the real owner of that Motive Video?” Shuichi asked

“Are you sure you want to know? I’m not even sure if I should be talking about it just like that” Ryoma said, staring at the pool. 

“We need your help” Tsumugi says “So if you could tells us what you know, then we can leave you alone”

Ryoma sighed “You guys are very insistent on interrupting my conversation with Gonta, and now asking for my Motive Video....”

“My Motive Video belongs to Kaede” Ryoma said “I wanted to see if that device had information on my girlfriend, so I checked it without thinking”

“If Ryoma has Kaede’s, and Kaede has Maki’s, then which one does Maki have?” Shuichi thought 

“By the way” Ryoma said “I assume that one of you has my Motive Video? I can’t just give you Kaede’s without any compensation”

Even though Ryoma had a point, Shuichi was forced to bluff. 

“It’s easy to explain” Shuichi said “I don’t have it myself, but I might have a clue about someone who does”

Think. Think. Think.

“If the sequence follows a pattern, then it makes sense that Kaede would have yours” Shuichi said

“As I said, I don’t feel comfortable doing this out of the blue, I feel pressured to answer” Ryoma said. He walked over to one of the yellow baskets, which were stored together, and pulled out his Motive Video.

“If it makes you leave, then be my guest” Ryoma said, handing it out. Tsumugi grabbed it earnestly. 

Gonta scratched his head “Gonta does not know how to respond. This is a strange situation”

“It’s okay, Gonta” Shuichi said “We’re not here to threaten anybody”

———————-

The three of them made their way outside of Ryoma’s Research Lab. Tsumugi was the one holding the Motive Video, swaying it around playfully. Because of Kokichi’s energetic attitude, both him and Shuichi ended up outpacing Tsumugi, walking up in front.

“Ah, We forgot to ask Gonta for his Motive Video, should we go back to get it?” Shuichi asked

“Go ahead, I’ll be waiting right here for you” Kokichi said 

Without thinking, Shuichi went back to Ryoma’s Research Lab, while Tsumugi stared in confusion. After a minute, Shuichi went back to meet the two, and he was angry at Kokichi for having tricked him.

For you see, the obvious conclusion that Shuichi failed to draw is that they already had it, that’s why Kokichi showed no urgency to return. Of course, he wasn’t about to waste an opportunity like that. 

Tsumugi was left confused by their exchange, yet smiled to herself, since it was to be expected that the students would bond with each other under difficult circumstances, just like she did. 

“That was stupid of you, Shuichi. You should have seen that coming” Kokichi said

“That’s not funny, you could’ve just told me that earlier” Shuichi said

“Yeah, but that makes it less exciting, doesn’t it? Sometimes not knowing is part of the journey, and the destination is your answer!” Kokichi said

“That’s one way to put it” Shuichi said “for someone who lies so much” 

\--————————

The next person the trio encountered, was Tenko. Shuichi had found it strange that she would be by herself, instead of trying to talk with Himiko. The girl was standing on the stage, but Kokichi’s insane responses were enough to startle her into embarassment.

“Tenkooo! Stop hiding from us and answer a few questiooons! I swear we won’t bite!” Kokichi shouted, as if looking for a dog. 

“Do you really have to talk like that all the time? Picking up a few one-liners wouldn’t hurt, either” Tsumugi said, cleaning her glasses. 

“I know! How about: ‘Execution for those who defy me!’ Or ‘Hello, my name is Kokichi, and my life is a lie’” He responded, jokingly.

“I’m having a hard time grasping where your thought process is going...” Tsumugi said, worried. 

Tenko had attempted to use the red curtains on the stage as a hiding spot, enveloping herself in them. However, Kokichi walked over to it, catching Tenko and revealing her position. 

“Found you!” Kokichi said

“Don’t just follow me like that!” Tenko said “Y-You creep! I was getting ready for the show!”

“That’s a pathetic excuse, Tenko. Just tell us everything. I don’t want to waste time listening to some awful lies” Kokichi said

“Is there a reason she’s here by herself?” Shuichi wondered 

“The Gym can also be used as a training ground for Karate. Maybe she wants to become the strongest disciple there is” Tsumugi said to Shuichi

“I was thinking of a more recent incident” Shuichi said “Himiko and Angie invited me to their show, but it seems that Tenko didn’t have a chance to join because of me”

“In that case, let’s do something about that” Tsumugi said, confident “Let’s help our friends while we’re at it!” 

Tsumugi called out to Tenko, who was trying to avoid Kokichi’s grasp. “I’m a little busy here!” She said, throwing the red curtain against Kokichi. 

Tenko was forced to escape from the stage, and she met Shuichi and Tsumugi while running from her pursuer. 

“Hey, Tenko” Shuichi said, trying to catch her attention. 

“Just give me a second, will you?” Tenko said. She stopped abruptly, karate-chopping Kokichi in his shoulder, which made him flinch. 

“So that’s how it looks like from the outside” Shuichi thought. It didn’t appear to be very painful, and yet, it was. 

“Shuichi wanted to ask you if you wanted to join Himiko’s Magic Show” Tsumugi said

Upon hearing that, Tenko stopped being angry, and started to lament herself. It was a very gloomy version of Tenko.

“I tried to...but...Himiko said no, and Angie brushed me off. What’s up with her, anyway? Being happy all the time? Maybe she should learn to treat me like a friend...” Tenko said. Her anger at being rejected had managed to slip in. 

“Yeah, Himiko and Angie are very dumb. I mean, believing in magic? Really?” Kokichi said

“Don’t speak about Himiko like that.” Tenko said “Stop it.”

“And what gives you the right to tell me who I can and can’t insult? Wasn’t Himiko just a stranger to you?” Kokichi said

“No! Himiko is my friend! And I want to keep her safe from people like you!” Tenko said

“Then go ahead and help her” Kokichi said “If I’m so annoying, it won’t take you much effort. Plus, you’re starting to irritate me” 

Fueled by disgust, anger, and a need to help those she cherishes, Tenko fled from the Gym, and left through the entrance.  
“Wait for me, Himiko!” She said. 

Fortunately for Kokichi, Tenko had actually been in the middle of viewing a Motive Video of her own, which she forgot to take from the podium on the stage. Kokichi took it before she could remember. However, Shuichi was focused on something else entirely. 

The Gym’s projector screen began to shuffle. Located between the red curtains, it made them wonder who exactly was behind them.  
Yet the movements stopped as soon as they started.

Shuichi was already aware of what had happened. Had he made a mistake by following Kokichi? He thought that avoiding Kaito and going about his day would be enough to deterr any threats, but in reality, things were going to be a lot harder. 

“Do you mind if I leave the Gym for a moment?” Shuichi said. That entire time, Tsumugi had been the one hauling the weight of the devices, so it wasn’t like Shuichi didn’t feel pity. “I’m sorry for having you carry another Motive Video”

“We have to carry many more if we want Kokichi’s display to work, so I’ll be fine” Tsumugi said

————-——-

Right outside the Gym, Shuichi was focused on tracking Maki’s location. Following a stalker wasn’t easy, as the roles were reversed. The hallway seemed empty, and the lush, green colors contrasted her shades of red, so camouflage wasn’t an option.

Suddenly, Shuichi felt like he was being choked from behind. There was a hand with an extremely strong grasp on his neck, which made it difficult for him to breathe. He was pressed against the wall, and Shuichi turned around to confirm that his fears were realized. 

Maki was not just angry. If Shuichi was capable of describing her as a demon just from her ambush, then the aura she gave off in this instant could only match that of Death itself. 

“Getting away from Kaito....and now you’re hanging out with.....Kokichi...?!” Maki said, furious. Her grasp on Shuichi’s neck intensified.

“Why....are you....so angry...at me....?” Shuichi tried to form phrases, but only separate words could come out. If only Maki could let go of his throat. 

“Why....? You want to know....’why’...? Because of you, Kaito sees me as a freak. Because of Kaede, I’ve been forced to use my talents again” She said. Her eyes were focused entirely on Shuichi’s face, and nothing else. 

She let go of him, and he was left gasping for air. She approached him menacingly, and looked down on him. 

“But worst of all, you’re trying to expose me alongside Kokichi, aren’t you?” She said

“That’s....That’s all wrong, Maki” Shuichi said  
“Kaito told me, he’s worried about you. And even if I did know, I won’t blame you for what happened. No, because I know how you feel”

This response made her feel confused, so she decided to ignore it. Maki stood upright, and looked at him firmly. 

“If Kaito, for any reason, finds out about the Lab *or* my identity, you three will be next” Maki said. She turned away from Shuichi, and sneaked away before anyone could see her. 

The door to the Gym was opened. Tsumugi and Kokichi emerged from it, and saw that Shuichi was gasping for air. 

“Shuichi?! Did something happen?!” Tsumugi approached him, checking to see if he was okay.

“That’s so cute, Shuichi has a special someone” Kokichi said, mocking him “But of course he won’t tell us who it is, riiight?”

Shuichi was too tired to respond, so he just motioned for Kokichi to keep quiet. Tsumugi got mad at him because of his comment, which Kokichi took in stride. 

—— ———————

Midnight was approaching. Because of Maki’s nature, Shuichi subconsciously gained the impulsive need to check if someone was behind him. Even inside his own room, there was no safety. 

According to Tsumugi, the Motive Videos had been held in Gonta’s Research Lab, as instructed. He didn’t want to give Kaito’s away just yet, partially because there was something about it that made him feel nostalgic for a time that was no longer. 

Unlike Tenko, he didn’t know if living another day was a blessing or a detriment. Their situation hadn’t improved at all, only changed, and Monokuma wasn’t just about to let him off the hook. 

“Kaito...As long as you’re alive, I don’t need anything else.....”

“No matter what happens, you must live. You must never give up”

Shuichi replayed the video a few times before going to bed. Even though the message sent was that Monokuma had threatened Kaito, the mere fact that he knew that their families could be out there was relieving. Yet, there was another reason for the search of the Motive Videos, too. 

He wanted to know who were the people that would greet him once he got his Motive Video. Finding out who has it would be the only way to do so.

———————————-

The next morning, Shuichi woke up early again. The video had helped him get his mind off current events, as if Kaito had been the one talking to him. 

Ding. Ding. 

Shuichi opened the door. The one waiting to greet him was Tsumugi.

“Good morning, Shuichi. Kokichi says he’s waiting for you in the Dining Hall” She said

“Oh, is the showcase going to be today?” Shuichi asked

“After what happened yesterday, Kokichi chose to have Gonta help him gather everyone instead of getting their Motive Videos one by one. The idea was to have the showcase tomorrow, but something made him change his mind, I suppose...”  
Tsumugi said 

“Kokichi must have another reason, changing his plans like that” Shuichi wondered

“Well, we saw Kaede talking with Maki in private, and Kokichi got curious, so he wanted a chance to put her on the spot” Tsumugi said. 

“Maki’s going to be there too....?” Shuichi asked

“Everyone is, so please don’t be late” Tsumugi said, letting him prepare for the showcase.

————————

Unlike last time, almost everyone had arrived there. Once more, K1-B0 and Miu who had failed to arrive at the meeting. Kaede didn’t show up either, but by that point most people could assume what had happened. 

Each of them was carrying their own Motive Video, and it was hard to tell to who it belonged to at a glance. The only ones who did not have a Motive Video on hand were the ones that they already had to begin with. 

“Why Gonta’s Research Lab? Couldn’t we just go to the Dining Hall?” Kaito asked

“Kokichi wants us to see the Motive Videos, and my “Research Lab” room has a monitor” Gonta answered.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s the same deal as before. But it’s tempting, isn’t it? To get to know who exactly are the people you cherish most. Are they alive? Maybe they’re people you didn’t even remember, but it’s not like that matters”  
Kokichi said

Kirumi intervened in Kokichi’s monologue “It is important that we clarify an important issue first” She said, while looking at the other Motive Videos “It would be useful for us to know who recieved their own device, instead of someone else’s” 

Everyone looked at each other with curiosity. If there had been no exchanges, then surely there had been some people who did recieve the one that originally belonged to them. 

Yet, no one but Rantaro raised their hand. “I think it’s safe to say that the ones we’re looking for are Keebo and Miu. If they didn’t want to admit it, they wouldn’t show up, after all” 

“I told Miu to help me with the show...She’s busy right now” Himiko said

Just how many of them were secretly part of the plan? The network grew more and more as the days went by. 

“I don’t want anyone to fight, but shouldn’t we have each of us place it on a pile one by one?” Tsumugi said

“That sounds like a safe idea” Shuichi said “And it’s faster that way, too”

As instructed, they began to pile up the Motive Videos next to each other. Eventually, there was a grand total of 13 devices spread out evenly on the floor. 

“Eh? Why are there just thirteen? Did someone else not put in theirs?” Kaito asked, noting the problem.

Not one of them responded this time. The count, thirteen, had ended up that way because there was still one other person who hadn’t left their own Motive Video there. And Shuichi knew who it was, he was glancing at them. 

She stared at Kaito in silence, but finally spoke “Give me a minute” Maki said, and with the speed of lightning, rushed off to get her own Motive Video, for the one she had on hand was Ryoma’s. 

After a short wait, Maki was back again, with another Motive Video, and placed it alongside the one she had. “I grabbed someone else’s by accident”

Deciding to continue on, Kokichi ignored her “Our condition is that, for every person who grabs a Motive Video, we’ll have to watch it together! It’s like a Russian Roulette!” 

“You never mentioned a condition like that” Ryoma said “What are you talking about?” 

“You are all sooooo dense” Kokichi said “Did you really think that a Supreme Leader like me wouldn’t have an ace up my sleeve? Of course, If I told you that, no one would’ve fallen for it” 

“In that case, please enlighten us” Korekiyo said “Just what do you intend to do?”

Kokichi grinned to himself “One of the Motive Videos here has a veeery dark secret” He approached one of them, placed in the corner, and held it in his hands, showing it off “And I know that person is fully aware or what I’m trying to get at” 

Maki clenched her fists, looking fiercely at Kokichi. The latter was smiling proudly, as if he hadn’t said anything. “Now then, do you want to know if anyone else has a secret?” He asked with a smirk. 

For the next two seconds, everyone was standing still. Once those were up, chaos started to erupt from within. They desperately ran for the devices in order to get them back, pushing each other so they wouldn’t take it. 

Unfortunately, this caused the devices to get scrambled around once more. The problem? Their color-scheme was near identical. There was no easy way to mark or tell them apart due to the Academy lacking markers and enough paper. For this reason, several of the students started to panic.

Most of them all, however, was Shuichi. He had hoped to ask around to see if someone else had his Motive Video, but now no one could tell. Without thinking, he grabbed the first device that came to his grasp, and held onto it. 

More importantly, he had to get away from there: Some of the students, like Tenko and  
Angie, had begun to argue and fight among each other. To make matters worse, Kokichi had decided to sprint off by himself in the commotion. 

With a deep desire for knowledge, and to decipher the unknown, Shuichi took the device with him and got as far as he could from the others. 

——————————

In one of the hallways of the first floor, Shuichi decided that it was far enough to have time to spare. He put the Motive Video in his field of vision, and turned it on, wanting to uncover the secret behind it. 

He couldn’t believe his eyes. It was such an opportunate reveal, too convenient, even. 

“....Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective....Devoted to finding the truth, he worked alongside his uncle for many years...” Monokuma announced

With a mixed feeling of surprise and happiness, Shuichi’s eyes were glued to the screen. 

“....And now, our team would like to announce that his parents have given an interview!” Monokuma said

“My....My parents!?” Shuichi thought. If anything, the intro would’ve led him to believe that the person shown would be his uncle. 

The scene changed to one showing a middle-aged couple in the middle of a crowd. One of them was a man with black hair and glasses, he was of average height for an adult, yet was dressed with formal clothes for the event that was unfolding. For a stranger, he would’ve looked like a much older Shuichi. 

The other was a brown-haired woman wearing a white dress, and her eyes were the same as Shuichi’s. She was well dressed for the ocassion, yet he noticed that both of them were not happy, rather, they had a rather saddened expression.

“We miss our son. His uncle was working in his office with him before the incident, so we don’t know where they took him” Shuichi’s father said, with a concerned expression.

“He must be feeling so scared, without anyone to talk to...Our prayers are with him, wherever he may be” Shuichi’s mother said, she looked away from the screen, looking at her husband.

“.....These two have been searching for their poor son since—-“ Monokuma said

Click. 

Shuichi immediatelly turned off the Motive Video. Whether or not Monokuma was going to mention that they had gotten into an accident, he didn’t want to find out. He was already aware that something else had happened to his uncle already, but he didn’t know what. 

Motive Video in hand, he snapped back to reality once more: If he had his own Motive Video, then that means that someone else might have picked up Maki’s. 

It was too late to return to Gonta’s Research Lab. If he did, they would demand that he give up the Motive Video, and he wouldn’t let that happen. Instead, he tried to warn Kaede about what was happening. 

-—-—————————

Rushing to the Dorm Rooms, Shuichi tried to look for Kaede’s room, only to realize that not only was her door open, but she was nowhere to be seen. 

There was a particular, disturbing smell emanating from it. It made his head feel dizzy, and he couldn’t think straight. He covered his noise as an attempt to draw it out, but it was no use.

Because it was the smell of dried up blood. Something had happened to her right here and now, and yet her body wasn’t anywhere to be seen. It covered the floor of her room, as a small puddle, and Shuichi was left staring in silence. 

Assuming the worst, but refusing to face Maki, Shuichi tried to go to the Dining Hall, yet he was worried that no one else was there. Perhaps the commotion was still ongoing, and no one had the bright idea of leaving without getting theirs back? 

A strange sight occuppied Shuichi’s entire attention. It wasn’t one he could just avert his eyes from. It wasn’t a lie, nor the truth, it was just reality, clean and simple. 

Ever since the day he came back from death, Shuichi subconsciously knew that he wasn’t going to look at the other students the same way again. They were going to change, just as much as he was. 

In other words, the bloodied up body of Kokichi Ouma, His checkered shirt was uneven, his back had been sliced open by a dagger, and his eyes were closed. He was lying down on the floor, and the traces of blood behind him made it seem as if he was attacked recently, and yet, his fingers could barely move on their own. 

As Shuichi approached to check on him, he collapsed, and the former cradled him so he wouldn’t fall unconscious immediatelly. 

Kokichi opened one eye, and spoke weakly. “Of all people....Maki....? She was....your follower.....? You made a mistake....Shuichi....he he he....”

While Shuichi was too shocked to formulate an answer, let alone move out of the way, Kokichi’s blood started to form a trail on the floor again, as he struggled to speak. His usual joking demeanor had been replaced by that of disappointment. 

“....he knows....It’s too late....for you....Kaede’s a....goner....” Were Kokichi’s final words, which echoed across the room. He died not with anguish, but with a smile of bittersweet victory. 

Processing what had just happened, Shuichi let out a scream of terror. The person he had been with through the entire day, and had helped them gather the Motive Videos, had just been murdered. Yet it wasn’t a wail of sadness, it was one or desperation.

Because he knew that Maki would come for him next. If Kokichi was telling the truth, then Kaede had decided to run away but was caught by Maki, that was the end of her story as a shut-in. 

But did it really have to end that way? He knew that Maki was very protective of those who see her in a positive light, but why couldn’t it be possible for her to turn around her views on people?

Dragging Kokichi’s fallen body on his shoulder, he closed the victim’s eye, to have him rest. He began to head towards the Gym. Because a trial wouldn’t have to start, since no one else had uncovered the murder. 

“Shuichi!”

Just as he was about to enter the Gym, he was interrupted by a voice coming from the other end of the hallway. It was the desperate voice of Kaito, who had rushed to meet him right then and there.

“Why.....Why are you covered in blood....?” Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars, said, with confused eyes and a shocked gaze. Because he was carrying Kokichi, the wound in his abdomen had spread out to his legs and torso. “Are you...?” 

“Maki is your friend, right?” Shuichi asked, looking back at Kaito, but not stopping. 

“Y-Yeah! I’m not giving up on her, not even now!” Kaito said “If her Motive Video says she’s a bad person, that’s fine by me! She’s my friend, damnit!” He was trying to act confident, but the situation they were in definetly made his voice start to tremble. There was doubt in his heart. He couldn’t even look at Shuichi. 

“I see...Thank you, Kaito” Shuichi said, with a weak smile, before opening the door to the Gym. He didn’t give him time to intervene, as he closed the door before he could help him. 

Because now, their paths had split, where Shuichi went, Kaito could not follow, for it was too dangerous for him to live in. And if Kaito was determined to do something, it was to survive, on his own terms. 

Shuichi lowered Kokichi’s body on the wall next to the entrance of the Gym. Despite the bangings, he didn’t listen. His only choice now was to keep going. 

The reason was obvious. The grim reaper of this Academy doesn’t wait to see if you’re ready to face it. Rather, it’s best to acknowledge it with your own true self.. 

“I’m here, Maki” Shuichi said, knowing that she’d be there “You can stop that now. If you keep it up, you’ll be executed, and I wouldn’t want that to happen to you”

Emerging from the stage was Maki, who had been waiting in front of the podiums. Shuichi had known this, and yet, he chose to follow along. To his response, Maki responded with a look of angered confusion. 

“Why?” Maki said. Despite her deeds, and in spite of her friendship with Kaito, there was no jealousy now, only anger. Yet that fury was not aimed at Shuichi at all.

Because, in that moment, the person Maki hated most of all, was herself. She couldn’t believe that Shuichi kept talking to her so casually, so normally, even if he was aware of who she was. 

Shuichi looked down in hesitation, but then turned to face Maki directly. “Why? Well, that’s simple to explain, isn’t it? You are my friend too, Maki. And I want to help you”

Those words were said to Maki, but it was also an idea that had resonated with Shuichi. He couldn’t keep blaming her for things that she did in another life, nor in this one, just like he did the same for himself. 

But he was tired. Even dragging Kokichi’s body there had sapped most of his strenght away. To him, this was merely a last ditch attempt to make amends with Maki during this particular “instance”, even if things were to change. 

With exhausted breath, he collapsed and laid face-up on the floor, looking at the Gym’s ceiling in front of his eyes. He had failed. There was nothing else to do but to ask for forgiveness.

Maki hurried towards Shuichi, and, overcome with emotion, began to strangle his neck. Shuichi posed no resistance against it, simply letting her vent out her frustrations.

With each passing second, the strenght increased, and his breathing became much more irregular. He was left with the sight of Maki’s anguished expression, of someone abandoned by the world, and of someone who was forced to do something she despised. 

Her look was empty. It passed right through Shuichi’s face, she was staring at nothing at all. 

Everything became a blur, and he started to feel very light-headed. His neck caved to her hands and his shortness of breath caused him to cough, or at least he tried to, as he was choking on that sensation alone. Unlike last time, his feelings towards Maki were that of empathy. Slowly but surely, he was starting to understand her much more than before. The key to solving this deadlock, this “impossible” situation, was to befriend Maki. He was sure of it. 

With that, Shuichi drew his last breath, and his eyes darted off towards the stars. The Gym’s emptiness filling the room, and leaving Maki to bear his burden all by her lonesome.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the things I aim to accomplish through the loops is to expand on certain possible events that couldn’t come to be in canon. You probably know what I’m talking about here. (Also, yes, some of the gaps in time will be covered later on). 
> 
> Are the loops easy to follow? That’s what I had been wondering. The way I use to tell when one begins or ends is either with the elipses or when Shuichi goes back to a Checkpoint, but I’d stil like to know if it’s okay or not. 
> 
> Next chapter, Shuichi has awoken with new resolve inside of him. It’ll be interesting to write how this version of him diverges from his canon self, while still maintaining his charm. 
> 
> Thanks for Reading!


	11. Chapter 2: Knowing Each Other

Despite the unexpected developments that Shuichi was a witness to, he returned to Himiko’s Research Lab not afraid, but confident about his current objective. There was no way he could allow himself to fail this time, since everything was hinging on his capability to carry over information from one loop to the other. 

After exiting the Saw Trick’s purple box, Shuichi pumped himself up. It was an attempt to stop himself from thinking about Kokichi’s death, however. 

That previous sequence was not his first encounter with a corpse, no, but it did remind him that the issues that plagued him were now spreading like wildfire to other innocent students, and how quickly the situation could develop into a mess if he didn’t unravel it.

“You look happy! Want to try out another magic trick?” Angie asked with glee. The fact that Shuichi had approved of Himiko’s technique was proof that their idea could succeed. 

Shuichi turned to face Himiko, who was removing the tools for the Saw Trick to replace it with a different one “There’s something I wanted to ask you, Himiko” He said “Could you replace me with Tenko?”

“We turned her down yesterday, but she kept clinging to me...” Himiko said. Shuichi couldn’t tell if her blend of disappointment or sadness was a sign that she regretted it. 

“Himiko needs to be happy for the show, Tenko would just get in the way” Angie explained 

“...I’m still not sure how to get Angie and Himiko to let me go. I’ll have to think about it more....” Shuichi thought

“I’m supposed to meet Kaito in the Casino after this, so could you let me go for a second?” Shuichi asked, adjusting his hat. 

“Recharge your mana” Himiko said, nodding “But don’t forget your duty as my assistant”

“If you’re late, we’ll come back to get you!” Angie declared, though it sounded more like a threat than a reminder, despite the friendly tone. 

——————————

After leaving Himiko’s Research Lab, Shuichi ran all the way to the Casino Area, he called out to Kaito while entering, which disrupted the silence. Kaito himself was pacing around, observing the machines around him. 

“There’s something I need to tell you” Shuichi said, panting intensely. He attempted to catch his breath while Kaito stood in complete confusion at his sudden change in attitude. 

“Eh? What’s this all of a sudden?” Kaito asked. He looked at Shuichi with concern, scratching his neck “And why are you in a hurry? I was waiting for you to come here—-“

“Listen” Shuichi said, pulling Kaito closer to him. Its force made Kaito flinch, which embarrassed him slightly, but he kept going. “The reason Maki guarded her room so much is because she’s hiding her talent”

“Her talent? Didn’t she say she was the ‘Ultimate Caregiver’?” Kaito asked in confusion “What’s there to hide about that?”

“We don’t have much time” Shuichi said, holding him tightly “If she makes a move, the Killing Game could start again”

Shuichi let go of Kaito, and looked around to see if Maki had arrived, yet she was still absent.

“S-Sorry about that” Shuichi realized “I’m just surprised about everything that’s happened”

Kaito put his hand on Shuichi’s shoulder, and smiled at him, his frown erased “You’re trying to help a friend, of course I’m going to help you”. He pointed to the entrance, and the two began to hurry outside “Just tell me what’s going on as we get there”

——————————-

The journey to Maki’s Research Lab was very fast paced. Kaito got a rushed explanation of what had happened, but did not have time to process it. Eventually, they made it there.

Maki was standing outside her Research Lab with a cold expression. She instantly glared at Shuichi as soon as he saw him, which made him flinch. However, that didn’t stop him from attempting to set things right. 

“Kaede, she’s inside your Research Lab” Shuichi said “Isn’t she?”

“What does Kaede have to do with anything?” Maki asked, not moving from her spot. 

“I know why you were looking for her” Shuichi said “But don’t misunderstand, we’re not here to fight you”

“If what Shuichi says is true, you need to let Kaede go” Kaito said, confident “We can talk it out later”

Maki walked up to Shuichi in a hurry, but was stopped by Kaito, who stood in front of him as a shield. It was a tense atmosphere of silence and anger, but no one would dare give up. 

“Stand aside” Maki said, looking directly at Kaito’s eyes. 

“I can’t do that” Kaito said, with a stoic expression “You two are my friends, I can’t have you fighting each other like this, it’s pointless” 

To Kaito’s remark, Maki’s eyes lit up. She didn’t expect to hear a response like that from him, especially given the situation they were in. She turned around, not wanting to face Kaito. Clenching her fists, she stood silent. 

“Idiot” she said, before hurrying towards her own Research Lab. It was an awkward wait as Shuichi and Kaito stared at one another in silence.

After a couple of minutes of patiently waiting, Kaito and Shuichi were greeted by the sight of Maki coming out of the room, with Kaede at her side. The latter was tired, but did not express anger at her captor. 

“Kaede!” Shuichi said, running up to her. 

“I’m fine...I think...” Kaede said. Shuichi knew that she had been knocked unconscious, so her tone came as no surprise to him. 

“Even if you were held there” Kaito said, relieved to see that Kaede was safe and sound. “I’m glad that everything resolved itself. You have to thank Shuichi for that, if it wasn’t for him, you could’ve stayed there for a while” 

Kaito looked at Maki in silence, and she did the same. “Maki, why did you want to—“

But she didn’t give him time to speak. Maki rushed back to her Research Lab, and closed the door behind her. Kaito’s interrogation would have to wait, in that case. 

Right as she left, two figures presented themselves on the scene: Ryoma and Gonta. Shuichi remembered that it was around this time that they had their discussion, which is why they were present now. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best of situations for them to walk into .

“Was that Maki just now?” Ryoma asked 

“Gonta heard loud noises coming from here, so Ryoma and Gonta ran from his ‘Research Lab’ room” Gonta said

Ryoma saw that Kaede looked very tired, which was a sight he didn’t expect to see “And what about Kaede? Why is she like that—?”

“That’s enough” Kaito said, with a serious tone “You can come to your own conclusions about what happened, but we don’t need to talk about it now” 

“Gonta is concerned that Maki did something to Kaede and Shuichi” Gonta said, in a worried tone. 

“If they want to be left alone, then let them” Ryoma told Gonta “Let’s just forget what we saw here and leave quietly”

Gonta and Ryoma turned around and started to walk away from the scene, right where they had come from. It had been a diffiicult imagery to forget, not without thinking about it further. 

Kaito attempted to get Maki to come out by knocking on her door, but nothing happened. Shamed and defeated, he told Shuichi to lead Kaede to her room so she could rest and recover her energies. 

——————————

Exhausted from recent events, Shuichi decided to go back to his own room to gather his thoughts. Things had gone much differently than before, and as far as he knew, there was no need to worry about Maki monitoring his actions. 

Kaede did not object to Kaito’s decision, as she needed as much rest as she could get. Shuichi was left thinking about whether things had gone better or worse due to his intervention, but he could not be aware of it at the moment.

After a few moments of pondering, Kaede greeted him as he opened the door to his room. 

“I owe you one for leaving you hanging yesterday” Kaede said “So we’re even now”

“I thought you were resting in your room?” Shuichi asked her

“I know, I know, but it’s boring to stay in my room all by myself...” Kaede said

“I don’t mean to pry, but..” Kaede looked at the Motive Video next to Shuichi’s bed. It had caught her attention in the same way Maki’s had “Who does it belong to? Have you seen it?”

Shuichi noticed right away what Kaede was talking about, but decided to respect Kaito’s wishes.

“I know who should have it” Shuichi said “But they told me not to say anything. It’s not that bad, but they wanted to keep it quiet”

“Right....” Kaede said, disappointed by his dismissal. “After what happened with Maki, I’d be wary of it too”

“Anyway, there’s something else I wanted to talk about” Kaede said “If you don’t mind”

“I’m sorry for what I did yesterday...” Kaede said “After the way you let out your frustrations, I tried to do the same, but it just didn’t work like it was supposed to. Honestly...”

“Do you think I’m good at cheering people up?” Kaede asked “I think my speeches are very cheesy and fake” 

“Of course not, you have a way of calming people down when they’re nervous” Shuichi said

“Is that really true?” Kaede asked “Or are you trying to make me feel better about it?”

“It’s true, I wouldn’t lie about something like that” Shuichi said, comforting her. 

Against all odds, Shuichi had managed to regain some peace in his stay in the Academy. Kaito’s way of getting through to people had been underestimated by him, yet it was exactly that which helped get Maki to slowly shift her own views on him. 

Kaede waved goodbye to Shuichi, and left to explore the Academy like she was supposed to. His calm demeanor had been a cover for a sinking feeling that had enveloped him since he saw Kokichi’s corpse. 

Maki’s threats were not a bluff, he was well aware of that already, and that’s what made it all the scarier to connect with her now. Yet, he felt as though she had her own reasons for doing so, just like him. 

——————————-

Before they knew it, Maki, Kaede and Shuichi had been roped into training with Kaito at nighttime. The latter already had an idea of what to expect from the previous loops, but the addition of two extra students to the mix made the flow of conversation seem unpredictable.

“Since this is our first session, we’re going all out from day one” Kaito declared

“Going against Maki is unfair, she’s an assassin, we’d be better off training on our own” Kaede complained 

“All the more reason for you to train! If you can manage to beat Maki, then surely you can beat me someday!” Kaito said proudly

Kaito’s vanity had no bounds, yet it served as a good marker for motivation. It’s best to have an ideal opponent than a realistic one, since their capabilities are ones you believe to be true. 

Their training session consisted of the same sets of push-ups and sit-ups that Shuichi and Kaito had done earlier. Just like Kaede had said, Maki was fast on her feet and possessed an unshakable stamina. None of them were capable of matching her skill. 

But in spite of that, there was even more to talk about than last time, since they couldn’t just mess around the entire time. 

“Come on! Don’t be shy! We have to start being friends again!” Kaito said enthusiastically

“We don’t have to” Maki said “Those kinds of friendships are superficial”

Kaito shook his head in disagreement “Then it doesn’t have to turn out like that! This one’s great because we’re going to say everything about us! I’ll start with my Motive Vid—!”

“Don’t continue” Maki said “The Motive Videos are what got us into this mess in the first place. Just keep it to yourself”

Kaito sighed in disappointment “Any other ideas, you two?” Kaito asked Shuichi and Kaede. 

“Kaito, can I ask you something?” Kaede asked him. He nodded in agreement. 

“I know you’re trying to get along with everyone, but why do you trust us?” Kaede asked “You know what I said yesterday, I’m not innocent” 

“Because of Monokuma, some of us could get desperate, I get that, but that’s why I’m trying to calm us down. Shuichi proved that the Killing Game doesn’t have to happen, and all of us know for sure that Maki wouldn’t commit a murder, even if Kokichi believes otherwise” Kaito explained 

Had Shuichi not lived his previous lives in such an anxious state, he might have agreed with Kaito, but this was only proof that their perspectives on Maki as a ‘friend’ couldn’t be more different. For the moment, Maki was an ‘ally’, they were on the same side. 

“I don’t mean to interrupt you, Kaito, but there’s something I wanted to ask Maki” Shuichi intervened 

“Come on then, spill it out” Kaito said

“What did you want to do in the Gym?” Shuichi asked 

This caught Maki by surprise, and her expression changed from one of stoicness to another, displaying shock. She got up from where they sat, and walked up to Shuichi. 

“How did you know about that? Were you following me?” She asked 

Shuichi realized his mistake. It’s possible that Maki had wanted to go there even now, but Kaito forced her to change her plans. This was in reference to her sudden appearance in the Gym, while searching for the Motive Videos. 

“N-No, it’s not that, since Himiko and Angie asked me to help them, I went there to speak with Tenko, and she mentioned you” Shuichi said. 

Maki shook her head, but was now calmer than before. She took a deep breath, and spoke as she sat down again “I felt as if someone was watching my movements earlier. I tracked them down to the gym, but they disappeared before I could say anything” 

“Maybe, it could be because you captured me” Kaede said, sharply “Or because of how little you talk about yourself”

“Let’s not go there” Kaito said “I think that’s enough for today, okay?” 

Kaede and Maki had a mutual dislike for each other as they threw expressions of disapproval at one another. The two hadn’t gotten over what happened a few hours ago. 

“Shuichi! Over here!”

Himiko and Angie waved at Shuichi from across the courtyard. Although their tone was cheerful, their expression was of neutral frustration. Shuichi had a wave of relief wash over him as she saw them approach him. 

Kaede looked at Shuichi in confusion “Are you doing something with them?”. He stared back at her with embarassment. 

“I forgot about the show” Shuichi said “And now they’re trying to get me back”

“That’s right!” Himiko and Angie said, as the latter clapper her hands together. “Now join us on our next trick! It’s going to be great!”

Shuichi was dragged away by them. He didn’t want to struggle, as the effort would be wasted. Kaito, Maki and Kaede were left giving him glances of concern. Soon, their shilouettes became unrecognizable in the distance. 

Escape was pointless, they would look for him again anyway, so why not just follow their lead and see what happens? 

———————————-

That very same night, there was someone with conflicting thoughts of their own. It was an individual who knew it all, yet was not aware of that important fact. 

Rantaro Amami. Labeling himself as the “Ultimate Traveler”, had spent this entire week attempting to understand more about himself. However, things had taken a much more different turn than he thought. 

Saihara had freed them from the pain of facing both a murder and a trial. It was no coincidence that Monokuma had decided not to make a direct move this time, as he thought, because he was waiting for one of them to do it instead. 

Whoever they were, Rantaro hoped that the Ultimate Detective would be able to put a stop to it. If it could be done once, why not again?

“This note.....I know I’m doing my part by hiding it from everyone, but just what do these letters mean? My own memories made it easy to figure out what the Flashback Light was for, but this message is a combination of completely unrelated sketches...” he thought

Rantaro crumpled up the white sheet and put it in his pocket. It was important that no one else knew of its existence. Partially because of its value, but also due to it serving as insurance for another secret, much deeper than the previous one. 

He turned on the Monopad in his bed, and looked at it closely. 

“Just what are you trying to tell me?” Rantaro asked himself. His amnesia wasn’t helping matters at all, and there were mixed signals from all directions. But most pressing of all, he didn’t know whether to trust Monokuma’s fierce judgement, or the group’s foolishness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unlike in canon, things start to take a much more awkward turn when it comes to their group dynamics. No matter how much of an open book everyone may seem, they are all hiding secrets. 
> 
> As always, feedback is very much appreciated. I hope you’ve enjoyed these updates so far, and many more that are yet to come. 
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


	12. Chapter 2: The Great Houdini

Himiko and Angie had pushed Shuichi around for quite a while. It was the third time that he didn’t have a chance to explain himself properly without creating a misunderstanding. It would also be unfair for him to unload this burden on Kaede, since she was struggling with her own problems as is. 

No, the conditions had to be just right. Maki was an unpredictable variable that could lose her sense of reason at any moment, as the previous day showed, so he had to remain vigilant. 

Completely out of nowhere, Monokuma decided to show up in his room. He stared at Shuichi in confusion, seemingly having expected him to see his entrance as predictable. 

“Why are you so surprised?” Monokuma asked with smug gestures “And just so you know, delinquents students get their playthings confiscated, so it’s bye-bye for your Monopads!”

“Is that all you wanted to say?” Shuichi interrupted, yet shocked by his sudden appearance “The Monopads didn’t have much use to them, anyway” 

Monokuma got closer to Shuichi, so that both of them were standing on the bed. “You may have been too much of a numbskull to notice, but going around and breaking the rules is not something taken kindly in the animal kingdom!” 

“You didn’t give me much of a choice. I still don’t understand why you were fine with us skipping the class trial, either” Shuichi said

“Oh, Shuichi, you say the most interesting things, without even being aware of them...” Monokuma said solemnly “Despite my thirst for blood and tears, I admire your creativity, coming up with ways to make the students suffer, even without me having me intervene. You’re doing a great job!”

“I’m not helping you” Shuichi said “I’d never do something like that. And even then, how do you expect me to ‘pass’ a trial if I don’t know what I need to do?”

“Whatever you did last time won’t work now” Monokuma clarified “I can guarantee it. Me and my cubs will be keeping watch on you, so don’t step out of line” 

“What happened to them? I don’t believe they disappeared just like that” Shuichi asked him for clarification. 

“We’re having a family feud” Monokuma said, going from menacing to a sweaty nervousness “Those brats think they can be rebellious and skip out on my orders just because I gave you a break! I’ll give them a piece of this bear paw!”

“‘Break…?’ This was supposed to be a break?” Shuichi asked. Unknown to Monokuma, Shuichi had already faced hell twice before their conversation. If he dared bring it up, however, he feared that he would just get motivated. 

“Yes! This is just the beginning of your trial! I can’t wait to see your face of anguish and despair!” Monokuma announced, laughing to himself like a madman. 

And he was gone without a trace, leaving Shuichi with more questions than answers. If his tone told him anything, it was that his so-called “trial” had not ended yet. Whatever this new phase entailed, it meant that things were just starting to heat up. 

—————————

The next logical step was to reunite with everyone. It seems that, no matter how much Shuichi changed the events of the previous day, Kokichi would always follow it by calling up a meeting in the Dining Hall. 

Upon arriving there, Kaito called out to him. Despite the fact that everyone else was there, Kirumi, Ryoma, Miu and Rantaro were nowhere to be seen. 

“Where are Ryoma and Kirumi?” Shuichi asked 

“Ryoma was planning a special event for Gonta, but I’m not sure where Kirumi is. Near the Gym, maybe?” Kaito guessed

Shuichi remembered what happened the previous night, now that Kaito brought up the Gym. He hadn’t had the chance to question Maki about her claims, and was interested in them. 

“What happened with you three while I was gone?” Shuichi asked

“Just like you saw, Kaede and Maki started to argue between each other” Kaito said, disappointed in the results of their meeting “We had to cut the training short because of that, and now we’re all here”

Kaito and Shuichi remained friends despite such circumstances. Having said that, the latter noticed that Maki and Kaede were staring at each other with distrustful eyes, standing on opposite sides of the room and refusing to speak to one another.

Kokichi made his presence known in the room. He giggled to himself like a small child, being aware of his next scheme. 

“What are you up to now?” Kaito asked. Strangely enough, he wasn’t as concerned about it as he was when Rantaro was the one speaking. 

“Oh, Kaito, Shuichi, Kaede, and especially Maki. It’s unfair of you to keep a secret like that away from everyone, and unlike last time, there’s nothing you can do to stop me” Kokichi said, grinning to himself

The four who were mentioned looked at him in surprise, as a misunderstanding was starting to brew up. 

“Be quiet” Tenko said, clenching her fists in anger “You’re only trying to say that to piss us off!” 

“My best friend Gonta, near and dear to my heart, has provided me with a veeeery important piece of information” Kokichi said, waving his hands at him “Would you like to know what it is? 

“Wait! Gonta didn’t know that Kokichi would break promise about Maki!” Gonta said in concern. As a response, Kokichi’s awful grin only widened. 

“M-Maki? Why is she being brought up now?” Tenko asked

“Exactly, it’s about Maki” Kokichi confirmed happily “I was thinking of waiting until the trial started to spice things up, but all of you are soooo lazy! You leave me with no choice!” 

He took a deep breath, and right as Kaede attempted to approach him to shut him up, he began his speech. 

“Maki is the Ultimate Assassin” Kokichi announced “She’s been waiting to make a move this entire time, and she finally decided to attack last night. Shuichi, Kaede and Kaito were responsible for covering it up, so go ahead, ask them all about it!” 

Surprisingly enough, it was Kaede who stepped up in her defense, out of everyone else.

“If you’re going to blame someone, then blame me. I’m the one who made her feel like I was a threat” Kaede said

“Is that really what you think? Or are you just lying to yourself?” Kokichi asked her. 

“I should’ve acted sooner, I’m sorry for that” Kaede said “But now I’m ready to help everyone” 

She had decided to fuel her motivation with the weakness she had been burdened by due to her regret. It was a powerful smile that radiated confidence.

“But that’s a lie, isn’t it? Shuichi was the one who hogged all the glory!” Kokichi said “Thanks to me, Shuichi was capable of solving our problems! Right?” 

He couldn’t deny that Kaede had felt a sense of inferiority due to the cancellation of her idea, nor the fact that what Kokichi said wasn’t entirely wrong. However, his intentions were not honest. 

“All of us” Shuichi said, clarifying in annoyance “Everyone did their part. Don’t forget that you refused to give up your Monopad, too”

“Give him a break, he’s just a spoiled kid” Kaito said, reassuringly. Shuichi sensed it as condescension, but there was sincerity in his words, which he couldn’t quite grasp. 

Regardless, that response made Shuichi back off from attacking Kokichi further. 

“Kaito interrupted me, so I’m running out of ideas” Kokichi said, shrugging “The truth remains the same, though. Maki is a threat, even if you choose to dress it in pretty colors” 

“Even being aware of that fact, we cannot allow ourselves to leave Maki unattended” Korekiyo pointed out, his arms crossed “Volunteers would be needed, perhaps”

“I’ll keep watch on her” Tenko said, in a gloomy tone “I...I have nothing to do anyway….It’s fine….” She was completely defeated by the fact that Himiko had rejected her offer for help, and Angie’s constant presence only made her feel much more bitter. 

No matter what happened, he needed to set things right somehow. Though if it was of any consolation to him, it seemed that Kaede was in a better mood now, for better or worse. 

Everyone’s eyes had been closely peeled on Maki’s location. They became wary of her, refusing to stand by her side at all. Maki became sorrowful, yet her expression was empty. 

As they were leaving, Shuichi decided to stop Maki before she could. Though this tactic was not met with friendly eyes.

“I wanted to talk about what you said last night” Shuichi said “Do you have any ideas on who that person could be?”

Her calm façade earlier was replaced with bitterness. No matter how they met, it seems like Maki would be furious at something one way or another. 

“Do you want to die?” Maki said, angered by his insistence to continue speaking “Is that what you want? Don’t go asking those kinds of questions to people”

“Maki, please” Shuichi pleaded as best he could “All you have to do is tell me, and I won’t bother you anymore”

Maki waited for a moment before answering. She looked to the side to see if anyone was hiding, and then continued. 

“I’m suspicious of the group that’s gathering in the Gym tonight” Maki said “They feel very pressured by it, even if it’s just a show”

Angie and Himiko were two of them. Miu was another candidate, but she had her hands full due to Rantaro’s misgivings, working in her Research Lab. Whoever else would be there, he didn’t know at that point.

Maki walked away from Shuichi in a hurry, despite his attempts to get her to elaborate on it. It would be for the best to leave her alone for now, she had a very short fuse, and her threats could be backed up with fierce ruthlessness, he knew that much. 

———————

Shuichi was expecting something akin to the viewing of the Motive Videos to happen again, but he needed to prevent it from ocurring at all costs. But much more than that, he was still desperate to know if someone else knew about his parents. His chance had slipped out, but there could still be an opportunity.

It seems as though Kokichi was unable to gather any allies to aid him in his search, so he was patiently waiting in the courtyard, right in the center of the entire dome. He was quick to grasp the topic of conversation. 

“No, I don’t know if *you* know, but even a liar like me has standards” Kokichi said, disappointed in Shuichi for having doubted him “I’ll be spoiling the surprise for myself if I see the Motive Videos before the party!”

It was too late to ask if he could help with the search, since it was noon of the third day. Originally, it had happened in the morning, so he guessed that Kokichi had enough to work with as is.

“What can I do?” Shuichi asked “If I want to see one of the Motive Videos, I mean”

“Let’s see....” Kokichi said, pondering the situation while eyeing him from head to toe. 

“If you can somehow make Ryoma’s event not fail miserably, I’ll consider it” He proposed.

In Gonta’s Research Lab, there was supposed to be an event arranged between Kokichi and Gonta, so why was he phrasing it as if he had nothing to do with it?

“It’s Gonta’s event, not Ryoma’s, right?” Shuichi asked

“I always mean what I say, obviously” Kokichi said “I’m too busy pissing everyone off to help him out, anyway. Ryoma is such a bad leader, he doesn’t even show up anywhere!”

Kokichi explained, in essence, that he was too busy to attend Gonta’s Research Lab properly. Though his promise with Saihara still stood firmly, he was learning new bits and pieces of information as time went on.

———————

By the time Shuichi arrived, the event was already halfway through. Kokichi hadn’t even given him the leisure of warning him about that. 

The event in Gonta’s Research Lab, labeled “Insect Meet-And-Greet” was attended by Kaede, K1-B0, Tenko, Tsumugi, Korekiyo and himself. 

Once he got through the door, he didn’t have an escape route available anymore. Flying bugs started to chase him around the room as he fended them off, and Kaede used K1-B0 as a convenient shield, much to his displeasure.

It was a painful experience beyond anything they had ever seen. For just a single moment, Shuichi was reminded of what hell felt like, for this was torture that he couldn’t escape from until it was over. 

Bugs and other flying insects had been released from their cages, and began to fly around looking for prey. The group was helpless to stop them from attacking anyone in sight, yet Gonta was profoundly enjoying himself. For a brief second, Shuichi could swear that he could see Kokichi’s smile turn into a frightened shiver as a gigantic praying mantis approached him. 

“I see...There are certain spieces of bugs whose pincers can penetrate clothing” Korekiyo said, brushing off the remaining insects from his hat. There was a small tear in his left shoulder, which had been caused by a sting beetle. 

“Really? There were tons of bugs going into my—“ Tsumugi attempted to say, but was cut short after she started to cough. “Excuse me” she added, clearing her throat. 

“Since Miu decided to give me some free time” K1-B0 pointed out “I wanted to see where everyone was going, it was getting lonely” He had joined much later than the others, having been unaware that anything of relevance was occurring at the moment. 

“Gonta wondered why Ryoma is not here right now” Gonta said as he looked around the room. “Does anyone know where Ryoma is?”

“Now that I think about it” Kaede said “It is strange that Ryoma hasn’t arrived yet”. She threw a concerned glance at Shuichi, who started to have a nagging feeling. 

Even though the others knew about Maki’s situation, Ryoma’s comradery with Gonta was completely new to them, and they didn’t know about it at the moment. 

“I don’t want the meeting to stop” Shuichi said, since it was important for everyone to be occupied “So I can go look for him”

“Can I go with you?” Kaede asked “I don’t like bugs that much”. She was looking for any excuse to go away from that nightmare.

“No, I won’t take that much time. Maybe trying to help Gonta could cheer everyone up?” He said, asking her back.

“I suppose...Just stay safe out there, alright?” Kaede said, getting pumped up. 

Shuichi nodded, and he went out of the room. Such a contrast from the cramped atmosphere created by Gonta’s unpleasant bugs, quite a difference from his personality. 

———————————-

Ryoma didn’t seem to be on the lower floors. Shuichi tried to look around the courtyard, but he didn’t see him anywhere. As the minutes passed, he thought that the others might start to look for him as well, so he had to start thinking more logically. 

His main guess was that Ryoma was in his own Research Lab, since that’s where he used to speak with Gonta. However, it would be strange of him to miss an event just like that. The preparations in the Gym would be his next destination, since they could answer some questions for him. 

Right in front of the door was Kirumi, who had been standing guard outside of the room. She mirrored Maki’s position in such a curious way.  
Once she saw Shuichi, she waited for him to come closer before speaking. 

“Hey, Kirumi” Shuichi said, greeting her “I didn’t expect to see you here. Do you know where Ryoma is?”

“No, I’m afraid I have not seen him since our meeting in the Dining Hall” Kirumi said, pondering to herself. 

“If that’s the case, what are you doing in his room? I thought everyone else was busy with Himiko’s show?” Shuichi inquired

Kirumi entered the room behind her, and said “Allow me to explain myself”, as she faced away from Shuichi. The way was clear for him to step inside, and so he did.

The layout of the room was completely different from what he recalled, which made him curious: There were several white cables strung up on the ceiling, the window was open, and next to it lay a round inner tube. Everything else was in its usual position, so it only made it all the stranger. 

“Ryoma has a fragile self-esteem” Kirumi said, looking out the window and walking forwards to it “Even if he doesn’t mention it. it’s apparent that he and Gonta hold a precious bond. And for that reason, I was given the task of aiding in a separate event”

“But the event in Gonta’s Research Lab was his idea, right?” Shuichi asked “Why would there be another one as well?” 

“Ryoma did not disclose the reason for that” Kirumi said, rearranging the position of the round inner tube, now being closer to the window. “But as far as I know, Monokuma has already closed the pool, which led me to improvise” 

“I see….” Shuichi said. The floor was wet. A small puddle of water had been under Shuichi’s foot, which caused him to take notice of that fact. 

“I know I’ve asked a lot of questions at this point, but were you working on the sink as well?” Shuichi asked her 

And then, there was silence. Kirumi did not reply to such a statement. Instead, she went on a tangent of her own.

“As a maid, it is my duty to serve my people to the best of my abilities” Kirumi said, looking away from him “I’ve been tasked with bearing the burdens of others, even if I myself am against it” 

Shuichi was incapable of following Kirumi, because no matter what she had to say, he had already made his mind by that point. The very fact that the water caught his attention drove his eyes towards the sink where it came from. He froze completely at the sight of….

The body of the tennis prodigy, Ryoma Hoshi, lying down under it, and partially covered by the yellow baskets to hide it from view. At that moment, it was all over. Shuichi had been naive to think that Maki was the only cause for his problems. 

Because of this analysis, Shuichi was unable to process the fact that Kirumi was getting closer and closer to him, slowly taking out a wooden board and hitting him on the back of the head with it. He fell down hard, shocked by her movements. 

“I hope you are able to forgive me” Kirumi said, looking down on him. As he lay down, she approached Ryoma’s location, revealing that he had been handcuffed with his hands behind him. After removing the cuffs, she put Shuichi down again with a kick after he tried to get up. 

“Why….? If you wanted me to….I could’ve just let you go….” Shuichi said, confused. He didn’t care that Kirumi wouldn’t believe him, anything that would reassure him that she had different intentions in mind was enough. 

“Remember your circumstances as I do. We cannot allow ourselves to be foolish in such an environment. I ask that you heed my advice now, of all times” Kirumi pleaded, yet she did not stop pulling on the white cables. The setup was beginning to change. 

Despite the fact that her behavior made her come off as a tool that followed orders to the letter, her own willingness to carry them out conflicted with the dialogue that she now said to him.

Shuichi himself was running out of options very quickly. Bearing a clouded mind, and handcuffed, to make matters worse, he couldn’t possibly reason with Kirumi in that state, nor was he aware of her reasons for doing such a thing.

Even in spite of all that, Shuichi’s strength was not completely gone. Kirumi had not stopped her plans because she thought Shuichi wouldn’t resist. As efficiently as possible, he put most of his strength to his legs, and pushed forward to make a getaway. 

Noticing this, Kirumi grabbed him by the shoulder, and they struggled between each other. He was forced to retreat to the window after Kirumi pushed him there, unable to resist for long. He looked down at the scenery: The white seats next to the pool had been moved, and it was dangerously close to him

“Why are you doing this? Did someone see your Motive Video?” Shuichi asked her desperately, putting his hands on the sides of the window in order to grasp them tightly. 

Kirumi looked to the side, not wanting to face Shuichi, finally claiming “I am grateful for your help, Shuichi. It was an honor to have served you” 

He was pushed into the empty space in the window, and fell down approximately 15 meters. Kirumi immediatelly looked away from the impending consequences, as Shuichi began to lose track of his own whereabouts....

Through his head, he heard a deafening noise, which repeated itself twice. It was the sound of his the bones in his legs breaking as they impacted against the floor. He tried to scream, but realized that the air in his lungs was being replaced with water. Shuichi had fallen into the pool, and could no longer move, his legs broken and bleeding from the impact. 

With liquid filling the empty space in his throat slowly, Shuichi’s vision began to darken. Due to his erratic movements, he couldn’t manage to lessen the pain, either, nor close his eyes to avert his gaze from the truth. 

Shuichi’s friendship with Kaede and Kaito, as well as Maki’s rehabilitation, were all stripped away from him, being unable to cherish those precious moments at all. 

...........

......

....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turns out, Shuichi had more on his plate than he thought, it just so happens that he didn’t realize it until now. Sometimes danger is a silent killer, rather than an avoidable tragedy. 
> 
> I know I said a few chapters back that my usual upload schedule is Friday/Saturday, but I feel as though the Thursday/Friday timeframe is a lot more accurate for what I’m going for, since I end up finishing my editing spree much earlier than that. It was simple experimentation, anyway.
> 
> Edit: Yesterday’s update (Special Episode) doesn’t mean I won’t still be uploading another chapter on Thursday, so look forward to it! 
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


	13. Chapter 2: Laughing At Grief

As soon as he came back to Himiko’s Research Lab, Shuichi dropped on the floor and started to cough heavily. It was a sensation strong enough to give him nausea, which Angie and Himiko saw as strange. The latter approached him once again, wondering if she needed to restrain her use of magic. 

Being able to breathe once more was a comforting feeling. It took him a few seconds for him to adjust his breathing, changing from a manual technique to an automatic one. Air entered his lungs, and he regained his senses as normal. 

“Where….Where´s Kirumi?” Shuichi asked them, as he stood up

“Oh, you want to know about our assistants?” Angie asked him with curiosity

This gave him confirmation that Kirumi was involved in the show as well. But why did everything revolve around it? Even his own idea had been met with strong criticism, and yet it saved them all in the end. 

Shuichi nodded, and Angie continued speaking 

“She asked us if she could help with the decorations, so she's been working on them in the Gym when she has time” Angie said, playing around with the saw “We plan to have Miu work on Himiko´s show once she fixes the Flashback Light” 

Regardless of that fact, it was also true that Kirumi was in her own Research Lab around this time, not in the Gym. Their discussion had not led to much, yet there was a need to uncover more answers. 

There wasn't much time to act now, and the current situation had not changed in the slightest due to his reset: The best outcome of them all was to have Kaito accompany him to save Kaede, or else there was a very strong possibility that Maki would end up killing her in retaliation. However, he couldn't ignore Kirumi either, so it was time to make a decision.

—-——————————-

Just like before, Shuichi rushed to meet Kaito in the Casino. Knowing that he would say yes made him confident in his response, and he didn't have as much panic as he had before. Once again, Kaito learned that Maki was the Ultimate Assassin straight from him. However, as they ran up to the second set of stairs for the second floor, Shuichi stopped in his tracks: 

“Let's split up, it's faster that way” Shuichi said, taking a minute to catch his breath. 

“You´re the one who came up with the idea, where are you going?” Kaito asked him in confusion. 

“I have to talk with someone else first” Shuichi clarified “Is it alright if I leave Maki to you?”

“I'll be fine” Kaito said reassuringly, thinking that he was somehow scared of Maki´s fury “If what you say is true, then I have much more of a reason to help her”

Kaito gave a thumbs up to Shuichi, and made his way to her Research Lab. Their paths having diverged, Shuichi instead ran up to Kirumi´s Research Lab, knowing she would be there. 

——————————-

Inside Kirumi´s Research Lab, she was busy tending to some of the student´s clothes, putting them in the washing machine and taking them out in turns. 

“Why are you not in the Gym? Didn't Angie ask you to help her?” Shuichi asked 

“It was I who asked if I could be of assistance to her” Kirumi said “However, your tone of voice does not comfort me”

“That's not the point. You were supposed to be at the Gym right now, not in your Research Lab” Shuichi corrected her

“The tasks I must carry out are diverse, even if Angie did tell me to do that, I cannot allow myself to put much time into other duties” Kirumi explained to him

That was not a complete lie. Back when Shuichi had asked her to prepare a meal for Kaede, she had done so without much hesitation, so it was clear that she was also taking external requests. 

“If you'll excuse me, I have to finish washing these dirty clothes” Kirumi said, moving to her other chores “If you have a request, please tell me after that”

“Show me your Motive Video, Kirumi. I know you don't want me to see it” Shuichi demanded of her. 

Kirumi stayed still for a moment, and then laid down the dirty clothes on top of the washing machine. She approached him with a serious expression. 

“When someone offers you their assistance, it is considered common courtesy to be humble and considerate” Kirumi replied. From her point of view, it was quite the unexpected development “I cannot do what you ask of me” 

“Then tell me, is the one you have yours, or does it belong to someone else?” Shuichi asked her with a serious tone. 

“It is my own, yes” Kirumi confirmed, though noting that she was goaded into giving a response “Unfortunately, it is not what you think it is” 

Shuichi was quickly losing his patience. He knew that Kirumi was lying through her teeth, but resisted the urge to spell it out entirely. Deep down, he wanted to think that it was all a misunderstanding, and she simply wanted to get rid of potential witnesses that could pin her as a suspect. 

“Are you related to Ryoma in some way? What were you even doing in his Research Lab?” Shuichi questioned her, with one question after another in quick succession. 

“Shuichi, I would prefer it if you calmed down before we prolonged our discussion any further—“ Kirumi said, starting to get genuinely worried. She tried to comfort him by giving him a back rub, but was shrugged off by him.

“You don’t need to do that, I wanted to talk with him, by all means” 

The voice belonged to Rantaro, with a more than calm demeanor, entering Kirumi’s Research Lab. He noticed the scuffle that they were in, and decided to intervene rather than wait. 

“Would it perhaps be here or somewhere more appropriate?” Kirumi asked, trying to get things under control again. 

“Don’t worry about it, we won’t bother you” Rantaro said reassuringly. He gestured at Shuichi to come with him outside, and he followed, as Kirumi looked at them both with solemness. 

(.........)

While walking, Rantaro and Shuichi made their way around the Academy. 

“Were you doing something else? I couldn’t find you in your room” Rantaro asked him

“I didn’t know you wanted to talk with me, I’m sorry about that” Shuichi said in apology. 

“It’s nothing, really. If anything, I’m the one who no one wants to talk to after what just happened” Rantaro said 

It was a really strange occurrence to think about. From Rantaro’s perspective, his mischevious act had transpired a few hours earlier, but for Shuichi, it had been several days since he first witnessed it. 

“Actually, I wanted you to do something for me, if you have time” Rantaro said

“Is it about the Flashback Light?” Shuichi asked

“Yes, it’s that” Rantaro said, being surprised that he would still be interested in that conversation “Remember how Miu said that she was going to fix it? Truth is, I need you to convince her not to do it” 

“Maybe we can tell her to work on the Magic Show instead” Shuichi proposed

“I need her to stop fixing the Flashback Light entirely” Rantaro said. 

Shuichi didn’t know if it was coincidence, but they were just passing by Himiko’s Research Lab as he said that, so Shuichi had to hide his presence by ducking, which amused Rantaro. 

“You’ve seen the way everyone started to lose their minds during our meeting at the gym. If they see it, the situation could be much worse” Rantaro said

“Even so, I’m not sure if Miu would listen to what I say” Shuichi said “She’s been busy in her lab all this time”

“It’s not just her, Rantaro said “Some of the students are already suspicious of you”

Shuichi looked at Rantaro in surprise. He was sure that the bonds he had built with them were genuine. After all, he had saved them from death, right? It was only natural that they would start to trust him more, that had to be the case. 

—————————

After their trip, Rantaro and Shuichi finally arrived at the Dorm Rooms on the latter’s request. By the time he spotted Kaede, Kaito and Korekiyo gathered there, he knew that the conversation had reached its proper end. 

“Don’t forget about it. You need to remember” Rantaro said, walking out of the room. 

Kaito gave a concerned look to Shuichi, while Kaede was less than excited to see that he had left her behind.

“I don’t think this is the best time to talk” Kaito said 

“You think?” Kaede asked. She looked at Shuichi with a disappointed expression, before hurrying to her room and closing the door on him. 

“You were right. Kaede was there, huh?” Kaito said “Maki didn’t believe me when I told her that you knew, and it took me a while, but I brought Kaede back”

“She’ll be fine. Just give her some time to rest and she’ll come greet you” Kaito reassured him

But Shuchi was not sure what to make of it. Apart from yesterday, this had been the only other time in which Kaede had been mad at him, at no other point in the previous loops did she express frustration in this way. Aimed at himself, no less.

For all intents and purposes, Shuichi’s attempt to have Kirumi confess was a complete failure. Unlike last time, Kaede did not want to speak with him willingly, Maki was suspicious of him, and who knows what Kirumi’s impression of him was at the moment. 

“Hey, Korekiyo” Shuichi said “Did you see Maki passing by before you came here?”

“I did not. I only arrived here recently. Whatever that girl was up to is not known to me” Korekiyo said

Korekiyo found it logical that such a thing could occur, yet Shuichi was more than confused at everyone’s reactions. The last time it happened, he had managed to restore his friendships with all three of them, but now it was as though their opinion of him had changed. 

———————-

Shuichi was bothered by that idea for the rest of the evening. In spite of recent events, Kaito still decided to invite him to train together with Maki, to which he accepted. Kaede did not participate this time due to “feeling tired”, and although Shuichi was worried about it, he was relieved that Maki had not targeted her again. 

However, the assassin was less than happy to see him there, once he arrived. 

“I won’t let you” Maki said “Stay away from us”

“M-Maki! Don’t go talking to Shuichi like that, he’s our friend!” Kaito said

“Friends don’t manipulate each other to get what they want” Maki said “With the way he’s acting, I wouldn’t doubt that he’s working with Kokichi”

“I didn’t talk with Kokichi” Shuichi said “I just told Kaito about you since Kaede was in danger”

“If you’re telling the truth, then explain how you figured out my talent without entering my room. You didn’t even come close to it, either” Maki questioned him

“Well, maybe he just looked at his Monopad—!” Kaito said, attempting to defend him from blame. 

“Don’t you remember? It’s his fault that we don’t have them anymore” Maki said. It seems that his achievement wasn’t looked at kindly, being more so a product of desperation. “There is no possible way for him to have known about it, unless….”

Maki came to a realization and walked towards Shuichi with the same thousand-yard stare that he had seen the first time. 

“....You were watching me, weren’t you?” Maki demanded a response out of him. Her eyes did not leave his for a single second. If looks could kill, Shuichi would be back at Himiko’s Lab already. 

Continuing the conversation was pointless. They were getting nowhere, and if Maki distrusted him anymore than she did now, he feared that something could happen to Kaede again. No matter how they started, they had to remain in good terms with each other. 

“I get it, sorry for bothering you, Maki” Shuichi said “If you two want, we can train later tomorrow—-“

Maki glared at him as she got closer to Kaito, who looked worried. He didn’t know if intervening was the right decision or not. It was a fight between friends, after all, and he didn’t know why Shuichi was acting so strangely. 

“Training is cancelled for today” Kaito said, frustrated at their bickering “Even if we do it in the morning instead, I’m going to train with both of you, together. Got it?” 

Maki and Shuichi nodded in reflex, but for entirely different reasons. No further words could convince Kaito otherwise, and letting them out for the world to hear would further complicate matters. 

———————

There was one other person who Shuichi wanted to talk to, but couldn’t find the time to do so until now. Especially due to Himiko’s and Angie’s stalking presence, which had arrived into the courtyard only late enough for him to avoid them entirely, since he was aware of where they would come from. He decided that it wouldn’t be much of a waste, since they didn’t come to any new discoveries during it, anyway. 

It didn’t take him much to find both Ryoma and Gonta in the former’s Research Lab. As usual, they were still there, though Shuichi wondered what the setup was like. Gonta was standing next to Ryoma, who was holding what was presumably Kaede’s Motive Video. 

“I’m surprised you’re out so late at night, with what happened with Maki” Ryoma said, putting aside the Motive Video in one of the yellow baskets. 

He had been there to see it all. It was possible that Gonta also had a glimpse of their confrontation, though the process was probably different. The problem was the oncoming explanation: How was he supposed to warn Ryoma about his impending demise? 

“Ryoma...I don’t really know how to put this, but….” Shuichi said, with the most gentle and non-aggressive tone he could muster “Did you talk with Kirumi?”

He shook his head “I have no reason to. I doubt Kirumi would want to serve someone like me” 

It was surely an interesting choice of words. Kirumi’s lie had been that Ryoma had tasked her with helping him out with another event, but he just received confirmation that it couldn’t be true. 

“So I take it you didn’t organize the Insect—“ Shuichi was saying, but was suddenly interrupted by Ryoma, who cut his words.

“‘Insect’? Is Shuichi talking about my ‘Research Lab’ room?” Gonta asked 

“It’s nothing” Ryoma said, with a hurried tone “It was just a slip of the tongue, don’t mind it” It was a nice gesture, coming from the cool tennis pro, to be considerate of others. 

“I just wanted to tell you to be careful” Shuichi warned him “I think Kirumi is planning to do something” 

“But why would Kirumi attack Ryoma?” Gonta wondered. 

“I’m still not sure myself, but we can’t forget that we’re still in a Killing Game, even if it seems otherwise” Shuichi said

“Makes sense. If I were Monokuma, I’d make the criminal a target as well” Ryoma said, changing his tone from embarrassed to a dry sarcasm one. It was as though Ryoma took offense to his comment. 

“Wait, that’s not what I was trying to—“ Shuichi was saying.

However, the appearance of a sinister fourth party interrupted everyone’s activities.

Kokichi Ouma walked into the room nonchalantly, intruding into the conversation. He had a way of doing so effortlessly every single time.

“My search for the Motive Videos took me straight to you, Shuichi!” Kokichi declared proudly “You can’t escape me!”

“What do you want?” Ryoma said, annoyed “We’re in the middle of a discussion”

“I thought I’d do a little treasure hunting for Motive Videos, and I’ve just started it. Want to help me?” Kokichi asked 

Ryoma sighed. It marked the end of their meeting, regardless of how it had started. Kokichi waved at Gonta, recognizing him, but Ryoma told him not to go with him. 

———————

Right outside Ryoma’s Research Lab, Kokichi began to open his mouth, refusing to close it. The hallway was devoid of people, so there was no need to worry about eavesdropping. 

“Well? What brings you to speak with Ryoma, of all people?” Kokichi asked him

“You should be focusing on your Motive Videos. I know you don’t have all of them yet” Shuichi said

“You’re such a buzzkill, Shuichi. I just wanted to spend some quality time with my favorite detective, and you go and blow it” Kokichi said with crocodile tears

“You know a lot about me, he he he” Kokichi said, grinning “You’re obsessed with me, aren’t you? You can’t stop thinking about Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader—-!”

His frantic movements made him lose balance, tripping and falling right into Shuichi’s body, which forced him to cushion the impact. As Kokichi raised his face to see his reaction...

“...He knows….It’s all over….” 

Thoughts and feelings of all kinds resurfaced. He didn’t know if it was due to his most recent death, but he was starting to feel the repercussions of having memories of things he shouldn’t.

“You made a mistake….”

Shuichi stared right at Kokichi’s lifeless expression, his irises having lost all color  
and the smell of blood, which emanated from his body and spilled to the floor with a splashing sound. This caused him to react in shock, and Kokichi fell to the floor. 

And just like that, all of it was gone. Kokichi was as alive as he had always been, and no signs of violence remained in his face that Shuichi could recognize. Kokichi saw that he was looking at him in shock, and smirked.

“You look pale, Shuichi. Did you see a ghost?” Kokichi asked jokingly, and he started to laugh with glee at Shuichi’s misery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, Shuichi slowly starts to learn just what exactly is the cost of helping everyone survive. Will he be able to handle it as it slowly takes a toll on him? Only time will tell. 
> 
> For those of you who decided to reread the earlier chapters, you may have noticed that some things were sligthly different: That’s just me smoothing out the story to see if missed any details, don’t worry about it too much. 
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


	14. Chapter 2: Say It

The events that transpired yesterday had been quite taxing on Shuichi’s sanity. His conversation with Kokichi had come to an abrupt end after his experiences gained a life of their own. They couldn’t come to an agreement anymore, so Kokichi let him rest for the night. 

With the coming of the next day, he had expected to see Monokuma again, just like last time, in order to ask him more things about this so-called “trial”. No one else had given it much mind, since it was a common-held belief that the Killing Game was just a farce and they were simply stuck there. 

RISE AND SHINE URSINE! 

“Wakey, wakey! The night is long, but the days are short!” Monophanie exclaimed, as she held her head above his. 

“Why are you in my room?” Shuichi asked, sitting down on his bed. Were it not for Monokuma´s earlier appearance, he would've been far more surprised to see them. 

“Talking to everyone is so scary! Father didn't tell us what to say before he left!” Monotaro said, trying to keep his composure. He was safer inside an Exisal than outside one, it seemed. 

“Huh? Where is Monokuma?” Shuichi asked 

“HE-IS-CURRENTLY-UNDERGOING-HIBERNATION.DO-NOT-DISTURB-HIM” Monodam warned 

He would not bother to explain himself, rather, he would just leave everything to his “children”. Whether or not that was a bad omen, he did not know. 

“HEHEHEHE! It's high time to screw things up!” Monokid said. His drowsy expression proved a direct contrast to his actions, proving that he was drunk beyond repair. “Motive Videos are BORING! I want BLOOD!”. It also confirmed that Monokid was not, in fact, the one who came up with such an idea. 

“Do not mock me, Monokid, that was a simple mistake” Monosuke clarified

“´Mistake´…?” Shuichi asked in confusion 

“Yes! While we were handing out the Motive Videos, Monosuke mixed them up!” Monophanie explained with an annoyed tone “And he blamed it on me!”

“I-I did not! Discussing it any further is pointless! The others have already begun trading them off with each other---” Monosuke was saying, before being bonked in the head by Monodam.

“WE-HAVE-SAID-TOO-MUCH.INITIATE-ESCAPE-IMMEDIATELY” Monodam said in a panic, and the five looked at each other in realization.  
“We'll be back!” Monokid exclaimed as declaration 

RISE AND SHINE URSINE!

As swiftly as they had come into the room, they left it. Taking after Monokuma´s disappearing act, there was no trace of their presence left. Though their dialogue was completely chaotic, and Shuichi found it difficult to ask them questions directly, two important ideas came to light: Monokuma was away from the scene, so he couldn't ask him about the trial right now. Secondly, Monosuke let slip that there's been some students trading with each other. 

He realized just how many things he had to take care of: Maki’s rehabilitation, Kokichi’s quest for the Motive Videos, Kirumi’s potential murder scheme, replacing Tenko with himself so that he didn’t lose precious time avoiding Himiko and Angie, and finally, visiting Miu’s Research Lab. 

It was quite the massive amount of tasks to accomplish, so he was forced to prioritize. 

(.....)

As he walked across the courtyard, he stumbled upon a familiar face: Tenko’s. Her frantic running towards him made him feel surprised. She called out his name as she got closer and closer to him, finally landing right in front of him. 

“If you’re going to take my spot, at least help out with the show!” Tenko said, taking a second to catch her breath. “Do you know how much I wanted to participate in it?” 

“I’m not sure why they’re still rejecting you. Himiko and Angie didn’t tell me anything about it. Do you have any ideas?” Shuichi said

“Nothing works….The Motive Video I have doesn’t belong to them…Himiko won’t let go of Angie….I’m done for….” Tenko said in defeat

“You still have a chance” Shuich said “Because Angie and Himiko were going to reunite in the Gym at night” 

“Really?!” Tenko said, taken aback by his reply. “You´re not lying, are you?” 

Shuichi shook his head “Go ahead, maybe they'll say yes this time” 

His words pumped up her spirit to the core. Having a second chance at success was amazing to think about. “I can do this! I, Tenko, will join Himiko’s show!” Tenko said, psyching herself by pressing her hands against the sides of her head, and running off to the Academy, where the meeting in the Gym would be held later. 

It was odd that Tenko was not being *as* violent with him as she used to be. Though he certainly didn’t mind the change. 

(......)

Shuichi’s search for answers landed him in Miu’s Research Lab, which he didn’t have an excuse to walk into until now. Being aware that she would not let him in if he waited, he instead sprinted inside the room before Miu could shut the door on him. 

“What’s with you? Scaring the crap out of people?” Miu asked him harshly

“Rantaro asked me to speak with you, so I’m here now” Shuichi clarified 

“That bastard hasn’t left me alone since he found that fucking thing” Miu said, annoyed at his mention 

“I’m pissed as a bitch right now, so stand the hell outside until I calm down!” Miu yelled at him with the force of a tsunami. The barrier that was holding in the dam of anger was opened, and Shuichi wasn't staying to get enveloped in it. 

He was forced to wait for five minutes of awkwardness until her rampage had been quelled. He couldn’t help but feel partially guilty about it, since part of her anger came from overwork and overall stress. After the pause was over, he was finally allowed inside. 

The inside of Miu’s Lab was modeled after an experimentation room: To the left and to the right, there was a bar filled with containers for various chemicals. In the middle of the room was a black surgical table, with a gigantic saw resting above it, and smaller chainsaws hanging from the ceiling. It was much more horrifying than it had any right to be. 

“Now, what did your virgin self want to say to me?” Miu asked him 

“I’m not sure if continuing to talk about it would be a good idea. Shouldn’t we keep it for later? You’re still mad, right?” Shuichi said, trying to comfort her anger. 

Miu sighed “Nothing happened, and that’s the end of it, got it?” She moved on to inspect an arrangement of large pieces of metal, which were being held by screws. 

“Is that for Himiko’s show?” Shuichi asked 

“My genius brain keeps pumping out ideas, I can’t keep them in my head for long. When Himiko asked me for help, I called her an asshole, but I just couldn’t say no...” Miu answered. There was regret in her manner of speech. 

“More importantly, I wanted to know where that Flashback Light is” Shuichi said, observing the walls around him. 

“It should be over there” Miu pointed to the opposite corner, near the entrance. The Flashback Light was safely hidden in a place that couldn’t be seen unless you were inside the room, and it was currently assembled as usual. Shuichi came closer to it, inspecting the device. Did you see what the Flashback Light shows?” Shuichi asked her 

“Hell if I know” Miu said, taking out a small drill from her arsenal “I don't have time to see it anyway, maybe Monokuma is ripping me off and wants us to jack off to it” 

Blushing, Shuichi handled the Flashback Light with nervousness. Rantaro had warned him not to see it at all, nor to allow any of the others to see it. His detective instincts told him that it was worth seeing, just this once. He saw a small button on it, and put his hand over it. 

Miu noticed what was happening and stood up, rushing to see what he was doing with it. “Don´t just press it, dumbass! We don´t know if it's dangerous----” She accidentally pressed her hand on Shuichi´s hand, making the Flashback Light activate. They both stared at it in expectation….

And then the scenery changed. 

It was just like he said: The Ultimate Hunt had occurred in the past. Ultimates were hunted for their talents around the world, and only few remained. Their talents discarded, they were living on the run, currently being held captive in such a mysterious place. 

“There's no way that's real. It's fake, right? You can't just create memories out of thin air..” Miu said, upstaged by Monokuma´s grand design. 

And yet, the very fact that it was possible only gave it that much more validity. 

“That’s what Rantaro didn’t want us to see…” Shuichi realized. 

“That lazy piece of crap mentioned something like that, didn’t he?” Miu approached him in desperation, and shook him by the shoulders. “  
About the “Ultimate Hunt”?”

At that moment, the gentle footsteps of another visitor made their way to Shuichi’s ears. She had knocked on the door to Miu´s Lab once, before making herself a guest to her room. 

“Shuichi Saihara, Miu Iruma…” Kirumi said, bowing her head “Kokichi requests your presence in the Dining Hall as soon as possible, please do not delay your arrival” 

Suichi nodded in silence, though he was shocked by what just happened, Kirumi´s presence broke the awkward mental silence in the ambience. 

“I’m not going, I have shit to fix here” Miu said, letting go of Shuichi and walking over to the Water Tank again. 

With just Shuichi remaining, he had no choice but to follow Kirumi to the Dining Hall. Due to the awkwardness of their previous conversation, the two walked in silence, not sharing their words to one another. 

(....) 

If the outside world had truly been ravaged beyond recognition, it meant that they weren’t the only ones in trouble, and that help was unlikely to come anytime soon. He was prepared to consider such a possibility, however, since Monokuma’s technology was too advanced to belong to a mere criminal. 

Shuichi and everyone else, barring Miu, Tenko, Himiko and Angie, had gathered in the Dining Hall. After waiting for a moment, Kirumi was satisfied with the amount of students that had gathered, they were sufficient in her eyes. 

Kokichi took silly and clumsy steps towards the center of the room, making space for Kirumi to stand aside. Just as expected, this setup was set to reveal Maki´s identity, if not prevented in time. 

“We should put it off for later” Kaito said, taking initiative “I know what you’re saying, but it’s not the best time to do so”

“And why not? Did you get infatuated with Maki after comforting her like that?” Kokichi asked him

Kaito clenched his fists in fury. It was one thing to mess around, but to treat something he was responsible for like a joke? It caused his anger to escalate. 

Maki, meanwhile, was hurling daggers at Kokichi with her eyesight alone. 

If Shuichi was going to act, it was now. He couldn’t spare a single second, as all of them were precious. The clock was ticking Ryoma, it would be selfish to take his time to focus on mundane tasks. It wasn’t until Kokichi exposed Maki, or when Kaede began to gain confidence again. It was now. With no hesitation, Shuichi said: 

“Kirumi is planning to commit a murder” Shuichi said suddenly. 

Their heartbeats increased in unison as the nervousness, confusion and sudden paranoia in the atmosphere increased dramatically. It was one thing to state that you were suspicious of someone, but to accuse them of murder? 

Kaito backed off from Kokichi after hearing that. Even the latter was confused by such a suggestion. 

Kirumi kept her silence, waiting for him to explain himself. 

“Shuichi….What are you talking about?” Tsumugi asked him

“It’s just as I said” Shuichi stood by his choice of words “We can’t trust Kirumi to help out with the Gym right now”

Kirumi, accompanied by Maki by her side, walked up to Shuichi, so that all three of them were looking at each other’s eyes. 

“Accusing anyone you see as suspicious, following their tracks...Do you want to die that much?” She questioned his decision with complete scrutiny. 

“I am in no position to act in such a violent manner. Just what kind of thought process are you accusing me under?” Kirumi asked 

“It’s because you’re trying to target someone, I know you are!” Shuichi said to their faces. 

“And what makes you think that?” Kirumi asked

Kaito tried to get the two of them to get away from him, but they wouldn’t budge until an explanation was given. 

Probably due to the combination of repressed emotions, the confrontation at hand, and the sheer bottled up memories that he was forced to keep, Shuichi had the feeling that something in his heart was telling him to say it.

Say it. 

Say it. Say it. Say it. Say it. Say it. Say it. Say it. 

“I know that, because all this time, I’ve been getting killed—-“

‘....Over and Over…”. That’s what was supposed to come out of Shuichi’s mouth. Instead, however, he started to clutch his chest after a strong sensation forbade him from moving. It was completely paralyzing, and for just a moment, he felt his own heart stop. 

Shuichi Saihara felt true fear in those few moments. As much as he tried to say it, those words just wouldn’t come out. His throat was burning, and he couldn’t breathe, again. His recovery was much faster this time, but that didn’t stop him from being visibly in shock. 

“Shuichi!” Kaede also rushed over to his side as the others looked in horror. Kirumi and Maki backed away from their tactics, which were meant to corner him, and watched from a distance. 

He clutched his chest as he attempted to say those words once more, then a third time, then a fourth. Doing it in succession would likely kill him, so Shuichi ceded in his attempts out of exhaustion, as Kaede and Kaito held him in place. His vision was blurry, but once the pain subsided, it´s like nothing had happened. 

Even after his two helpers agreed to take him to his room, Shuichi declined such an offer. It had been less than three days since he had to rest in the Dorm Rooms, he didn't want to give off the impression that he couldn't help at all. 

“I’m sorry—-“ Shuichi said, and then coughed from the damage “For cancelling the meeting like that” 

“It's fine” Ryoma said “If you need to rest, then do so. We can handle the other events later” Ryoma said

“But...Ryoma…” Shuichi said, worried about how he would take it.

“There´s nothing I can do but listen, right?” Ryoma said “ If it's for everyone else, I don´t mind” 

The meeting in the Dining Hall had been cancelled prematurely, much to Kokichi´s anger. Shuichi´s insane movements had completely overshadowed his performance, so he was naturally taken aback by their reactions. 

(.....)

Despite Kaito and Kaede´s insistence, Shuichi decided to take some time off for himself. He didn't know what to say or what to do. His mind was racing with thoughts of all kinds. For the first time since Shuichi had died, he had no idea of what to do next. The group was not as united as it had been in the beginning. A rift began to form between them, a result of their conflicting desires in the Academy. 

In a more literal sense, Shuichi was running laps around the Courtyard. He reasoned that, if Maki was preventing him from training, might as well give his muscles some refining while he still could. Back in the agency, his work prioritized brains over brawn, so his figure was much weaker and frail than he´d realized. After completing his third lap, he collapsed on the grass out of exhaustion. 

Kokichi and K1-B0, who were watching his seemingly insane antics, decided to help him. This was true for the robot, anyway. 

“Is this your new number, Shuichi?” Kokichi teased him “‘Detective drops dead from embarrassment’?”

“Kokichi!” K1-B0 said “He is clearly in distress! We must provide him with compliments instead!”

“You’re right, you’re right” Kokichi said, shrugging “Robots are all the same, pre programmed responses and all...” 

“What do you want?” Shuichi asked, sitting down on the courtyard. He stopped breathing heavily, and concentrated his thoughts on the two figures standing before him. 

“Who do you suspect more?” Kokichi asked, pointing at him “Maki, Kaede, or Kirumi? I can tell if you’re lying to me, your face says everything”

“Did Gonta tell you what happened?” Shuichi asked, dodging the question. 

Kokichi smirked. 

“Absolutely noot! Ryoma didn’t give me a chance to speak with Gonta properly because *you* were there, so I found out about it in another way” 

Shuichi and K1-B0 stared at him in anticipation. 

Kokichi said “Simply put…..Kaede gave it to me, Maki´s identity, that is” 

Shuichi reacted with shock at his words. They were not something he had taken into account. 

“Kaede was soooo depressed about what happened! Absolutely! So I couldn’t help but take all the chances I could get when gathering the Motive Videos!” Kokichi said, laughing at her senseless actions. The justification of a jokester. 

His tone and the way he phrased it came off as sarcastic, yet Shuichi didn’t think he had a reason to lie about something so specific. K1-B0 was also insistent on having the both of them speak it out, so could it be true for once?

“I don’t understand” Shuichi said, tugging on his hat “Why would she even agree to give you Maki’s Motive Video?”

“You’re the detective, not me!” Kokichi said playfully, lowering his back so that their faces would be next to each other. “But if you’re just a Watson, I’ll look for someone else to help me” 

A….Watson…? 

If it were anyone else, Shuichi’s pride would’ve been in shambles, but Kokichi was just messing around, that's as far as he knew. 

“That reminds me…” K1-B0 said, an idea coming to his circuits “Himiko and Angie were asking around for you, and they asked me to bring you to the Gym”

“I’ll go there myself, unless you want to spend the rest of the night working with them, Keebo” Shuichi said, trying to get K1-B0 to not attend it alongside him. Handling the possible reactions of any more of friends would most likely drive him crazy. 

K1-B0 was surprised that Himiko and Angie were as insistent as he claimed, but it was true, in every sense of the word. 

Deep in his mind, Shuichi could not help but wonder if Kaede was starting to lose her trust in him. Yet, he couldn’t allow himself to think that that’s all there was to it. 

As the three of them argued amongst each other, Ryoma was passing by the area. Surprisingly enough, his demeanor was completely different from anything Shuichi had seen from him at that point. His expression was empty, he moved with a slouching position, and dragged his feet as he walked across the courtyard. 

His presence causes them to suddenly drop into complete silence. Ryoma stopped for a second to look at them with sorrowful eyes, before continuing on his way. Shuichi called out his name.

“Stop it” Ryoma said, shoving his hand in front of him in command

“Huh?” Shuichi´s greeting left unattended, he was further worried by his reaction. 

“Stop it. I need some time to think things over” Ryoma said, looking downwards “So don't bother me” 

That was not the kind of person Ryoma was. He had always spoken about his past with self-contempt and regret, yet his overall personality was an aura of confidence in his friends. Plus, there was the matter of his relationship with Gonta. Did something happen?

He was not able to ask him, since Ryoma hurried his pace, heading for the Academy. He disappeared in the distance, and Kokichi laughed to himself.

“Just what do you know about this, Kokichi?” K1-B0 asked him 

“Oh, you two didn´t know about that...right….” Kokichi said. He looked as though he had remembered something important, looking at them with fake crocodile tears “Poor Ryoma got his event cancelled!”. 

He raised his hands in the air, as if making an important announcement to an imaginary audience while wiping his tears away with his checkered shirt. “With complete sadness in my heart, I say that Shuichi is at fault here”

“He was the one who had to be taken away. It's not wise to blame him for that” K1-B0 defended Shuichi´s mistake. 

As a reaction to Kokichi´s claim, and having regained his energies, he followed in the direction of Ryoma, leaving both of them in the dust. K1-B0 was further confused by this, yet Kokichi only saw it as an opportunity to further mess with his companion. 

(.....)

Warning signs were popping up left and right. 

Maybe due to their busy, everyday work, or partially due to what happened in the Dining Hall, The most likely conclusion, when it came to Himiko and Angie, is that they were preparing to host the show in the Gym tomorrow. It was pointless to get information out of Ryoma right now, since he wasn't interested in speaking at the moment. 

Maki’s aggressiveness aside, she had clearly told him that the Gym’s activities were worth checking out at the moment. As he passed the hallway leading to it, he came to a crossroads: He could attempt to reason with Kirumi again, which could prove more effective now. Otherwise, there was the need to speak with Ryoma, but if he did, he risked making him much more depressed than he was then. 

He´d need to find out later.

As he passed through the Academy, he noticed that Gonta was lost in thought near the Dorm Rooms. Gonta waved at him as a greeting, and Shuichi waved back, but he couldn’t stop to talk. 

He arrived at the entrance of the Gym, and his hands made their way to the handle. In that very instant, a feeling of dejá vû and familiar sentiments resurfaced once more. 

“Why….Why are you covered in blood?”

Kaito was looking at him from the other side of the hallway, but it was just a fantasy, that’s all it would be. 

It was useless to think of such images, it only hurt his psyche, yet he couldn’t handle the weight of his mistakes. He was beginning to see how his errors were affecting not just himself, but others, too. 

Unexpectedly enough, Kaede was in the Gym alongside the rest of the team, composed of Himiko, Angie, Miu and Kirumi. There was an extra guest there, Tenko, who was attempting to catch Himiko’s attention. The pieces of steel that were piled up in Miu’s Research Lab were now being assembled in the Gym. 

At an initial glance, it was easy to tell who not to be suspicious of: Miu spent a day and a half stuck in her Research Lab fixing a Flashback Light and working on improving the Water Tank. Himiko and Angie were the two least threatening individuals that he knew in the Academy, next to Tsumugi, so there was no need to worry about them. Tenko, though existing as a wildcard, did not mean to cause harm with intent. 

That only left Kaede and Kirumi as potential suspects. There was no discernible reason for her to be in such a place, since she probably wasn’t in the team herself, and rather than helping out, she was just waiting silently 

Once he approached her, Shuichi and Kaede were left with each other’s presence. It was reminiscent of their time together, as both of them were about to be killed off. Pain and agony was associated with every second of those memories, yet he appreciated the bigger picture. 

“Are you alright?” Kaede asked “I wanted to speak with you here, since Angie and Himiko were following you around”

“Why didn’t you go there with Kaito?” Kaede asked him “Were you scared?”

“I’m not scared of Maki” Shuichi said with honesty “She may be an assassin, but I trust Kaito’s instinct to help her”

“Then...why? I don’t understand. You’re so different from before” She was distracted by the increasing noise in the argument between Himiko and Tenko, yet continued speaking “We were supposed to go and catch the Mastermind together, I hope you didn’t forget that”

Despite that, it was also true that Kaede herself was acting differently. 

“The Shuichi I know wouldn’t run away” Kaede said “Not until he knew that everyone was happy, that’s what you said” 

“If you want things to go back to normal, then tell me” Kaede said “I want to understand what's happening around us, but I can't do anything if I don't know what it is” Kaede said 

Back in the Dining Hall, Shuichi had felt such a painful sensation that it tore into his subconscious. It wasn´t up to chance that this was occurring to him. He had been unable to talk about his experiences without feeling like his chest was about to explode. It was a troubling situation, since most of his actions that day revolved around keeping Ryoma away from Kirumi, but he couldn't say it in a way that gave off the impression that he was going to die. 

“It was strange that the Killing Game didn´t happen as normal this time” Shuichi confessed “Monokuma gives us a Motive through the Monokubs, and then disappears...I had the feeling that the Mastermind was up to something again” 

“You're right about that” Kaede said “That also explains why Kokichi came to visit me so suddenly” 

Yet more confirmation that Kokichi was continuing his search as scheduled. But there was one more piece of the puzzle to get the answers out of. It was an itch that he couldn't wait to scratch. There was an additional implication in his claim: If Kaede still had Maki´s Motive Video, then it stood to reason that either Maki gave it back, or she didn´t take it at all. 

“Did you give him the Motive Video you had?” Shuichi asked 

“It's hard to explain” Kaede said, pondering to herself “Since Kokichi is a liar, I knew he would confuse you somehow, but the truth is that I didn´t. He only asked me if he could see what was inside it, and then ran off”

Focusing back on the ongoing activities at hand, Himiko and Angie were directing Miu to position the pieces for the Water Tank, while the inventor praised herself for her successful deed. Kirumi had finished the decorations and wallpapers for the magic show with inhuman accuracy, and was supervising the proceedings. 

“I know you’ve asked me already, but are you okay?” Shuichi asked her. It was a sign of courtesy, yet he was also curious about the answer to it. 

“Don’t worry about, me, Shuichi, I want to take care of you for now” Kaede said

Next to the Water Tank, Miu yawned out of tiredness “That’s a full load off my back...” After doing so, she began stumbling in her movements, dropping down on the floor, completely exhausted from a day’s work. 

“I think that’s enough for today. Any more and all her energy would drain away” Himiko said, pulling on Miu’s legs as Angie took her by the arms.

“Just in time for tomorrow! Even if Kaito isn’t here, we managed to complete it just as quickly!” Angie replied as they took her away to her Dorm Room to rest. 

“You’re finished already...huh? I-I see….” Tenko said with nervousness and disappointment. Da Remembering his conversation from earlier, it seems that Tenko needed to come into contact with the group during the second day, not the third. She followed their lead from a distance, with uneasy steps. 

As Kaede, Kirumi and Shuichi watched them go away, the silence between them grew much more awkward by the second. 

“Do not misunderstand” Kirumi said, shaking her head and brushing off dust from her skirt. “I simply desire to support everyone’s desires as much as I can, for as long as we stay in this Academy” 

(.....)

Kirumi decided to accompany Kaede and Shuichi to their Dorm Rooms. It wasn’t a matter of paranoia, rather, she wanted to possibly redeem herself in Shuichi’s eyes, regardless of his impression of her. 

“I am worried about our collective mental state” Kirumi said, thinking to herself as she glam “It is certain that stress is bound to increase in such a setting, and so, I apologize for any wrong impressions I may have caused”

Kirumi apologized again. Unlike their confrontation in Ryoma’s Research Lab, she didn’t seem as though she was lying about it. 

“If you’re the one who needs help, be free to tell us everything, okay?” Kaede asked him for confirmation, and he smiled at her as proof. 

Shuichi was not answering, not because he didn’t know what to say, but due to the amount of questions that were piling up, one after the other. Not only was Kaede taking charge much sooner than before, she also managed to gain Kirumi’s trust in the process. Unfortunately, it was at the expense of her image of him as a leader. It was worrying to think that your partner could no longer rely on you, and instead had others rely on them. 

Once in the Dorm Rooms, Shuichi was met with yet another new event: Gonta was standing outside of Ryoma’s Dorm Room, and was visibly anxious. Once he saw the trio, he called out to them. 

“Gonta looked for Ryoma since he disappeared” Gonta said, with a very worried tone “Where is Ryoma? Do you know? Gonta was about to search in Dorm Room”

“Did you ask Angie and Himiko?” Kaede asked 

“Angie and Himiko did not know what was happening, they were in Gym for whole evening” Gonta clarified 

“Then it figures that Ryoma would be in his own room, right?” Kaede asked 

“Let us see, then” Kirumi said, inspecting the door closely “He is most likely inside, if no other options are left”

Oh no. 

Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no

Kirumi raised her hand to open the door, and as she was about to do so, Shuichi called out to her in a panic.

“Don’t! Don’t open it!” Shuichi said desperately, looking at her in desperation “Please….”

She took a moment of silence before responding. 

“If that is the case” Kirumi looked back at Gonta, fearing the worst “Gonta, may I ask you to stand back?”

The bug enthusiast backed away from the three, with a disconcerted expression, as Shuichi finally let Kirumi open the door. 

Indeed, it was Shuichi’s greatest regret thus far.  
He dropped to his knees and looked at the revealed scene with extreme emotions. All his hopes that the situation, however stressful it may seem, had been taken care of at the cost of his friendship with Maki and Kaede. 

The door to hell itself, to a world between life and death, and the beginning of something greater. 

“No….no way….!” Kaede said in complete shock, covering her mouth with her hands. 

It was now clear that the price for failure was much, much higher than his mind could ever fathom. 

Because not far from his bed, lying on the floor, with a white cable wrapped around his throat, and an expression that showed anguish and sadness in unison…..

Was the lifeless body of Ryoma Hoshi, the Ultimate Tennis Pro. His soul now sleeps among the dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, the story drifts closer and closer towards the finale of chapter 2! With what i’ve written ahead, it’s definetly going to be something to look forward to. 
> 
> Kaede’s shifting relationship with Shuichi is meant to show just how insanely calculated his actions look like from an outsider’s point of view. 
> 
> And Kokichi? He screws up every single timeline he exists in. Every single one. Without exception. 
> 
> Updated Note: For those of you who may be confused, I thought I’d clarify something as well:
> 
> Another condition of RBD is that the user is forced to keep its existence a secret, normally through excruciating pain. If at any moment, they were to try to reveal it, this mechanism activates. How this works is seen more clearly in Re:Zero, but since this is a different universe entirely, some things are kept ambiguous on purpose. 
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


	15. Chapter 2: Secret To Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: References to Suicide

Immediately after witnessing the scene of the crime, one of the monitors’ screens blared to life.  
It was Monokuma’s Body Discovery Announcement. This was the second time that he had paid full attention to it, given that this was also the second time a body was discovered while he was still alive. 

Seeing the white cable around Ryoma’s neck gave him an intense mood swing: It was the same one that he had seen Kirumi manipulating before. 

“Why? Why did you do this to Ryoma?” Shuichi asked the maid. 

“Let’s not jump to conclusions! We have to talk to everyone first, before we—-“ Kaede was saying, as she inspected the environment of Ryoma’s room, Kirumi shut the door closed.

“Indeed. I was honest when stating that the rumors about me were untrue” Kirumi said, standing in front of the door so that the other two could not enter. In reality, she moved her head in Gonta’s direction, which showed that she didn’t want Gonta to realize that his friend was dead. 

The entomologist himself did not know how to react. The three of them were piling up next to Ryoma’s Dorm Room, and their awkward stares did not help to alleviate his worry. 

Having heard the announcement, Kokichi and K1-B0 were the first students to arrive at the scene. 

“Hey, hey! Why does everyone look so gloomy?” Kokichi said mockingly

“It’s that Body Discovery Announcement, correct? Whose body is it?” K1-B0 asked the group.

The two analyzed their gathering in front of Ryoma’s room, and came to a similar conclusion very quickly. 

(.......)

After a few minutes, most of the others had found their way to the Dorm Rooms, and gathered outside of them. By that point, it was obvious that one of them had died, yet Gonta was struggling to cope with such a revelation.

“Huh? Why are we meeting here?” Tenko asked, looking around “I don’t see a body anywhere” 

“They must have an invisibility cloak” Himiko said in response 

Gonta was too focused on trying to make sense of the situation to follow their conversation. He stepped in front of Kirumi as they both looked at each other. After that instant of tension, Kirumi finally opened the door once more, for everyone to see. 

Rushing over to see the body of his fallen friend, he couldn’t formulate coherent phrases anymore, nor could he make himself clear to the group, as he looked away from them.

Kneeling in front of Ryoma’s body, Gonta began to sob silently. His glasses were wet from the solitary tears that fell from his eyes, as he looked down in sadness. In an attempt to comfort him, Kirumi approached the two, and knelt down in order to accompany him. 

The atmosphere called for a certain someone to finally show up in person. 

“Took you long enough!” Monokuma said, hopping around the area, looking at each one of them “I was getting some of my beauty sleep, but I’m not about to miss a single second of this despair!”

Shuichi was in complete shock over the realization that he had lost. Someone was dead. Yet it wasn’t him. Gonta’s reaction to it had only made the situation worse. 

“Sorry, sorry, sorry….You failed miserably” Monokuma said, eyeing Shuichi “Fortunately for me, you chumps are going to be part of our brand-new Class Trial! So forget about the old one!”

C-Class….Trial….?

No, we can’t have a Class Trial! I won’t allow that to happen! Because if it comes to that….

Shuichi’s journey had started not the moment he came out of the locker he was held in, but after his death at the hands of Monokuma. Unlike everyone else, he had felt the sheer terror and anxiety associated with suspecting those you care about, and their incapability to find the true culprit behind Rantaro’s murder didn’t help in the slightest. 

Monokuma approached Kaede, taking out a black tablet from his behind, and placing it in her hands “Enjoy your Monokuma File!”

“Huh? Monokuma File?” Kaede asked, wondering whether to hold on to it or let go. 

“Do I really have to explain everything?” Monokuma said, disappointed “It’s an autopsy report! You fools would be running in circles without it!” 

It was a new experience for them, since the Killing Game had never actually started until this point from their perspective, yet Shuichi had already gone through this process once before. 

He took a glance at what Kaede was looking at, and confirmed its contents. 

—————————-

MONOKUMA FILE No. 1

Name: Ryoma Hoshi  
Talent: Ultimate Tennis Pro

The victim was found dead in his Dorm Room. Time of death is between 9:00-11:30 PM at nighttime. Their neck shows signs of strain, yet the victim’s body has no other external injuries. 

—————————

Even though the Monokuma File gave a much broader range of time for Ryoma’s death, Shuichi knew that he died less than an hour and a half ago. 

His prime suspect remained as Kirumi, due to the weapon used, but looking back on what happened, if Monokuma’s rule for the discovery of a corpse was in play, it meant that Kaede, Kirumi and himself were the ones who “discovered” the body first, but if that was the case……

“Is the culprit counted as part of the Body Discovery Announcement?” Shuichi asked Monokuma

“If I said it, you’d know the answer by now, so why not have you think about it more? Maybe the killer is part of that group and maybe they’re not! It doesn’t matter anyway!” Monokuma said 

Meanwhile, Kokichi and Maki were in the middle of an intense discussion. Angie turned Himiko and Tenko away from them with a smile, leaving the latter confused and the former embarrassed. 

“You’re looking veeery suspicious, you know?” Kokichi asked her with a bright smile “You’re terrible at hiding your tracks, Maki. For an assassin—”

Maki grabbed Kokichi by the throat in an instant, and he was left dangling in the air. Her strong grasp left him gasping for air, so she lessened her force. 

“Don’t get all mopey just because people found out. The cold-hearted girl with a hidden past being a murderer? It’s sooo predictable!” Kokichi’s smirk was drawn across his face with glee. 

She tightened her grip on his neck, making him cough. Yet Kokichi’s expression did not change at all. 

“It’s pointless to kill me now, but I don’t mind being your second victim” Kokichi said, coughing between breaths. Her fierce strenght was not to be messed with. 

Kaito approached them, breaking up their fight. He saw Kokichi with disappointed eyes, ones belonging to a friend who was let down. “We need to investigate, so drop it, both of you. We can fight it out once the trial’s over” Kaito said

Maki let go of Kokichi, who dropped on the floor, gasping for air. Only Shuichi reacted in an outright negative way, while the others didn’t give it much thought, as they were focused on Ryoma’s body. 

Regardless, the Supreme Leader had mentioned something peculiar: Maki was linked to Ryoma in some way. The itch for answers began, and Shuichi followed its trail. 

INVESTIGATION START!

Monokuma was gone once again. He had provided them with the means to uncover the answers that they sought, yet the way it stung their psyche was less than ideal. 

To get things out of the way, he needed to clarify the situation between Maki and Kokichi. The latter had gone away from the crime scene willingly, and Kaito followed close behind her. 

Kokichi himself was sobbing in an exaggerated manner “I can’t believe Ryoma is dead! Maki is so mean! Why would she do something like that?!” 

“Maki has nothing to do with Ryoma, so why do you suspect her?” Shuichi bluffed as Kokichi did, so they were playing on even ground. 

“Why do *I* suspect her? Here’s a better question: Why do you trust her so much? She’s an assassin, not a sweetheart. The only reason Kaito likes her is because he’s stupid” Kokichi said

“That comment aside...” Shuichi couldn’t let him get the better of his weakpoints, so he had to get the upper hand “What I wanted to ask is, what makes you think that we shouldn’t trust Maki?”

Kokichi chuckled at Shuichi “It’s so easy to twist your questions back to you, so I’ll give you a chance” He put his finger towards his mouth and looked at him sinisterly “The reason Kaito goes after Maki so much is because she’s hiding another secret” 

“Find it out yourself. Maki would kill me if I said anything, but I don’t mind either way” Kokichi said 

The jokester’s dismissals continued, but the reality of the situation made Shuichi consider if Kokichi would really be content with dying by her own hands, after all. 

(.........)

As Kokichi and Shuichi spoke to each other, Miu came out of her room. 

“What the hell is going on?” Miu asked after opening the door, still sleepy from resting, and yawning between her words “You’re so fucking noisy...”

Miu’s rambling was incoherent, and Rantaro, amused by her current state, decided to humor her as he stood next to the entrance. 

“You’d be better off resting for now” Rantaro said, while she wasn’t paying him attention “Working on the show early gives you some free time”

“Shut up! It’s your fault I’ve been so busy!” Miu yelled to him, but he wasn’t startled

“Like I told you, you can just stop working on it whenever you want, and this is the perfect chance to do so” Rantaro said, putting his hand in his hair to brush it off

“Oh! Oh crap! I have to get changed, damnit!” Miu said, coming to the sudden realization that she was extremely behind in the group’s affairs.

“Why won’t they give me a break?!” She rushed inside her room again in a hurry, shutting the door behind her. 

(........)

Having finished his scuffle with Kokichi, he noticed that Kaede had already taken initiative, talking to both Gonta and Kirumi.

As Shuichi approached, she asked them to wait for her a second, before responding. Kirumi watched them silently from a distance, while tending to Gonta. 

“I’m still thinking of who looks suspicious” Kaede asked “I thought Gonta could be one of them, but Kirumi says that he was ‘distracted’ by someone else. Do you have any other leads?” 

“As I said, I don’t trust Kirumi to be telling the truth right now” Shuichi said

“We have to start somewhere, right? It’s not like there’s many things to check...” Kaede said, lamenting that the culprit did not leave any obvious evidence. “That’s Gonta and Kirumi on the list, but who else?”

Shuichi was surprised to see that Kaede looked behind her, whispering ‘Sorry Gonta..’ before turning back to him again. 

“I’m not sure what, but Maki is hiding something, other than her talent” Shuichi said

Kaede smiled at Shuichi with humorous pity, as if he had missed something obvious.

“If it’s not her talent, then what else could someone be hiding in this situation?” Kaede asked

The Motive Videos. That’s the only other factor that someone would be willing to hide. Being guilty of murder goes without saying, yet he doubted that Kokichi would be so direct in his words. 

“I know what you’re talking about, but what does it mean?” Shuichi asked back

Having said that, Kaede’s attention had drifted away from him, and onto her right hand. She was holding a Motive Video of her own, yet he doubted that she would just carry Maki’s around, seeing as how she didn’t take it kindly at all. 

It reminded him of a conversation he had with Ryoma, something he had been naive enough to dismiss as useless information. 

Ryoma. Ryoma Hoshi. If he had Kaede’s Motive Video, and it was currently in her possession, then could it be that she….

“Is that your own Motive Video?” Shuichi asked with curiosity “Or maybe Ryoma’s—-“

“It’s evidence” Kaede said firmly, with a calm stare “I’m saving it for later on, during the trial, so let’s keep it a secret, okay?” 

Shuichi was perplexed by her sudden dodgy outlook, but didn’t let that bother him. 

“If we think about it too much, we’ll just get confused, and I know you’re tired right now” Kaede reassured him, tucking the device away from view “I’ll take over, if that’s okay with you” 

“Thank you, Kaede” Shuichi said, deciding to let her keep her secrets “But I still feel like investigating somewhere else, so I’ll see what I can find”

She nodded, and sent him off to wherever he was headed off to. 

As Shuichi was leaving, Kaede looked with melancholy at the device in her hands. The words she uttered left her mouth without warning. 

“I have….a sister…?” 

(..........)

Shinguji had left for the victim’s Research Lab sometime after the Monokuma File was delivered. His silent movements alerted none of them

“Human souls are finite in their endurance. Wouldn’t you agree?” Korekiyo asked Shuichi as he entered the room. 

“Did you come here to investigate as well? Korekiyo?” Shuichi asked back, trying to change the topic

“The answer is yes, to my earlier point, and no, in the case of my being here” Korekiyo said, opening the window to look outside, gazing in melancholy. “Ryoma told me many things before he passed. Perhaps he had already accepted his fate by then” 

“You spoke with him?” Shuichi asked “Where?”

“Right here, which is why I came to visit” Korekiyo said “It was mere coincidence, you should know. My original purpose was to surmise the outcome of our situation, and then came Ryoma….. He was just as surprised to see me as I was, and he spoke about his loved one dearly, or rather, the lack of one”

“I didn’t know...Ryoma seems like a different person on the outside” Shuichi said 

“You ask a countless number of questions, I see…” Korekiyo said “...Ryoma was missing something, a ‘girlfriend’, I recall. It was a feeling that resonated with me, which is why I listened to his story”

“Rather than going further, it would be wiser to see for yourself just what kind of man Ryoma was in his lifetime” Korekiyo said. He walked towards one of the yellow baskets, and took out a small device, a Motive Video. Handing it over to Shuichi, he bid him farewell from the room.

Korekiyo whispered from within his mask, out of Shuichi’s earshot “It’s a pity that Angie decided to help Himiko after all, there was an important matter we needed to discuss….”

He waved at Shuichi as he walked away, finally addressing him directly. 

“Nevertheless, I wish you luck in your investigation, our lives depend on it” Korekiyo said 

Because everyone else was in the Dorm Rooms, he tried to look for somewhere private to look at it. He decided on Gonta’s Research Lab, which wasn’t far off from Ryoma’s, as a good hiding spot. 

Shuichi didn’t know what to expect. Maki’s Motive Video revealed information on her orphanage. Kaito’s contained a message from his grandparents, and his own was a showcase detailing an unrelated incident. 

Overcome with curiosity, he turned on the Motive Video as per routine…….

And wished he never had. 

The contents of the Motive Video were a mockery of Ryoma’s social life. There was no one in the outside world waiting for him, and according to Monokuma, there would never be such a person. It was completely empty of anyone who could ever love him. It was such a lonely way to live. 

Everything was falling apart. He didn’t know whether to laugh out of nervousness or cry from the sheer hopelessness of his efforts. Shuichi grasped his head as the seeds of confusion and doubt were laid without rest, and a far too familiar feeling was embraced without delay. 

“How?! How am I going to help anyone if it’s this bad?!” Shuichi’s panic only increased the more he thought of it. If there were no options left, then the only possible course of action would be to….

Yet despite it all, he was saved by two figures. They had come to help him from his desperation. Upon seeing them, his exasperated expression changed to a much more casual one, being glad to see his friends be there to help him. 

Kaito, who had been exploring the Academy alongside Maki, greeted Shuichi as he approached him. The girl didn’t take his presence quite well, yet it was inevitable that they would meet again. 

“I know you’re investigating right now, but there’s something I wanted to discuss with you and Maki” Kaito said

(.......)

They agreed to head to the courtyard instead, passing through the Dorm Rooms without making much noise, and not calling attention to themselves. 

Once outside, they walked outside for a bit, before Kaito settled down in the grass. It was nearing midnight, and everyone was tired, so he wasn’t as motivated as before. 

Once the other two did the same, Kaito finally explained himself. 

“What do you think? Want to become another one of my sidekicks?” He asked confidently

“What—?” Maki said, surprised 

“Yeah! Maki’s my sidekick now, but you can be one too!” He exclaimed aloud, which made Maki stare at him coldly.

“Sorry, sorry” Kaito chuckled to himself happily, scratching the back of his head “I’m just glad things are starting to look up again, after all that happened”

“If I’m going to be your sidekick, then what do I have to do? Unless I train every day, I won’t be able to catch up to you two” Shuichi said

“That’s easy, all you have to do is give it your best shot in our group! ‘Kaito’s Space Crew’!” Kaito said, giving him a thumbs-up of approval.

“Space….Crew….?” Maki was so perplexed by his comments that she had no idea what he could be claiming next.

“Our job? Travel to space, of course! All of us are going to ride a spaceship to the cosmos if it’s the last thing we ever do!” Kaito announced to them, 

“But how are we going to do that?” Shuichi asked with slight concern, but it was the kind of questions that friends ask each other when embarrassed. “Anyway…”

“It’s not impossible! Think about all there is to it!” Getting up in order to psych himself, Kaito continued “From now on, I declare Kaito’s Space Crew officially formed!” 

“Stop it. You’re not going to tell him about….that?” Maki asked, making him come to an abrupt halt in his thought process. 

“Huh? You mean what you told me yesterday? Did you actually go through with it?” Kaito asked her 

She nodded silently, closing her eyes to not see his reaction. 

“Ah, so that’s it, huh?” Kaito confirmed “I’ll keep the explanation short: Maki didn’t want Kokichi to get a hold of her Motive Video, so she decided to entrust it to Ryoma by giving him his Motive Video”

“But why Ryoma? Wouldn’t simply having Kaito guard it be a better choice?” Shuichi asked. He wanted to know as much about it as possible.

He knew that Maki didn’t trust him at all. Which is why he wasn’t surprised to see her become wary of his questioning. Her explanation was enough, and that’s it, is what she thought. 

However, Kaito’s company gave her confidence, since he would act as a potential witness if anything were to happen. 

“That was the plan, but once Kokichi began to talk with Kaede, I knew it was too late. Ryoma is difficult to negotiate with if you don’t have what he wants, which is why I trusted him to keep it” Maki said 

“Hey, isn’t that…” Shuichi said, pointing at a figure that was moving towards the center of the Courtyard. 

It was the usual cosplayer girl, which was paying no attention to them whatsoever. Tsumugi Shirogane was not alone, she was followed by the rest of the class, who were all walking behind her. 

Kaito nodded towards Shuichi, and they stood up from the grass, preparing to face the trial. The detective gulped, shivering from terrifying memories of a past life. 

(..........)

It was a twisted way of looking at it, but Kaito’s speech had encouraged him to take action, and not in a way he ever thought would be plausible in any way, in any context, or in any realm of possibility. 

Gonta had calmed down from crying, but was too tired to acknowledge their attempts to speak with him once more. K1-B0, who was standing beside him, acted as his interpreter. 

“During the trial, you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, let me handle it” He said. As an attempt to comfort him, he gave him a head pat, which he appreciated weakly by lowering his body for his hand to reach further upwards. 

Kirumi, being the prime suspect due to Shuichi’s accusation, and without the excuse of helping Gonta to overcome his grief, stood aside from the others, watching from a distance. 

In a few minutes, they would all be going down the elevator, just like he once had, and would face Monokuma’s trial together. A harrowing decision awaited him, one he knew he had to make since the moment he gazed upon Ryoma’s Motive Video. 

Live on, with the guilt of Ryoma’s death weighing on your shoulders? Die in pain, having another chance at doing things over? Why did it have to be a decision in the first place? 

“With all due respect, I fear that we lack the sufficient evidence to solve this case” Korekiyo pointed out 

And he was mostly correct. The truth would be uncovered based on the evidence they had on hand, but his mind had been on autopilot the entire time, so he couldn’t think straight. 

“Can’t Shuichi just give us the answer? Like last time?” Himiko asked, peering at him from the side. He had proven himself to be quite dependable, even if he wasn’t there for everyone at a time. 

He had a possible answer. Reminiscing about what happened in his first loop, the setup was extremely familiar to him. As they waited with bated breath for Monokuma to greet them, Shuichi had made up his mind, and all that was left was to continue. 

Shuichi took a deep breath. He needed to concentrate before regretting anything he could say now “Monokuma won’t be going easy on us, but that’s why I need you all to work with me, together” Shuichi said 

“Shuichi?” Tsumugi asked

“Don’t give up. Never give up. Even if I’m not there to help you, do at least that much for me” Shuichi said

“What’s all of that for? Are you not coming with us to the trial?” Angie asked with a smile

The fountain opened itself up to reveal an elevator, which rose from the floor. It was time for them to head to the Class Trial, but more than that, it was time to head down very different roads. 

“I can’t let this happen again, not today, and not tomorrow. It’s all because….I’m not leaving anyone behind!” Shuichi shouted out with confidence to the group

As the elevator’s door opened, he turned away from the Shrine of Judgement and ran as fast as he could, not allowing Kaede nor Kaito to catch him. He was headed for the Academy.

The incarnation of despair personified, Monokuma, did not take such transgression lightly. He appeared next to Himiko, which startled her for a brief moment. 

“Remember! Anyone not present for the Class Trial will be executed!” Monokuma announced, before laughing to himself with a sinister tone. 

Kaede was terrified of such a possibility, and did not hesitate in running after him, disappearing in the distance. 

Kaito clenched his fists in anger, more furious than ever “Stay here! We’ll get him back!” And he too was following close behind their trail. 

(.......)

With a hurried pace, and before he knew it, Shuichu arrived inside Maki’s Research Lab, closing the door shut behind him, so that no one else could enter. His breathing, which was already rough from running, did not cease in its intensity. 

Knowing what to do was one thing, but actually going through with it required immense willpower. It was already urgent enough for him to lose Kaede in the structure of the Academy, to but himself more time. 

He reflected on just how much had changed due from what he knew: His relationship with Kaito had diminished to the point where their comradery was only starting to blossom. Kaede herself broke out of her temporary shame just to cheer him up, yet she was much more independent, rather than keeping each other as partners. To make things worse, Maki’s suspicions only increased, leading to the outcomes mentioned. 

If his theory was correct, attempting to unmask Kirumi as a murderer only served to worsen Ryoma’s condition. If they couldn’t even put their faith in someone who selflessly devoted themselves to helping others, then they would lose all sense of reason. Replicating this situation was unacceptable. 

He had made up his mind. If these events were going to occur once more, he hoped that the next time, they were capable of living as though nothing had transpired at all. 

Shuichi’s hand led itself towards one of the daggers on the wall. Its weight caused his arm to lower. He couldn’t bear to look at it. There was indescribable shame associated with his current actions. 

Were there any options left? With each passing second, he raised his arm which held the dagger closer and closer to his throat. It sounded illogical to think about, but this would be the first time he ever attempted something like this. 

His eyes made contact with the tip of the dagger, and his hands began to shake as he clutched the weapon with both hands. Shuich clutched his teeth as his hat fell to the floor from the motion. 

He didn’t want to die. Didn’t want to die. Didn’t want to die. Didn’t want to die.

Shuichi acknowledged that it was a need, not a desire. He needed to die. 

“I’m sorry….Ryoma….I’m so sorry….I know this isn’t what you wanted…..” Shuichi said to himself. If he succeeded, the tennis pro would be brought back to life once more, but there was a dirty feeling to it all. Maybe Ryoma was satisfied with his own outcome, and having him return would prolong his suffering?

There was too much at stake. The Class Trial would end in failure no matter what, he was sure of it.

Kaede….

Kaito….

Maki….

Everyone….

Their faces shone through the darkness, illuminated by hope even in the midst of immense despair. 

“I’m going to….save you….It’s a promise….!” Shuichi felt a slight cut in his neck. Being a suicidal hero was not the work of a detective, such a task was greater than he anticipated.

Closing his eyes, he slashed his own throat with as much force as he could muster, falling on the floor in pain and dropping the dagger near him. Blood was flowing out of it, as he began to regret his decision immediately. As he looked at the ceiling, his vision was covered in a red hue. 

Would he come back? What were the actual conditions of returning to a previous checkpoint? Would it not work unless he accomplished something first? All these ideas ran in a frenzy in his mind as his vision began to blur. 

“Shuichi? Are you here? We were looking for you all over—-“ Kaede’s voice was cut short as she opened the door alongside Kaito. 

Horror. Terror. An avalanche of feelings abruptly emerged from Kaede’s soul. The both of them stared in denial for an instant, before they rushed to help him. They pleaded for him to come back, at any cost, even if it was an impossibility. 

Shuichi’s last thoughts were of regret, only comforted by the idea of seeing them again, but despising the fact that he had been forced to have them see him like that, suffering. 

The moment Kaede looked him in the eyes, and Kaito ran for help, refusing to look at the scene that was unfolding behind him….

Shuichi Saihara died.

……….

…..

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, this chapter was very difficult to write due to it being the aftermath of last week’s chapter. I’m much more relaxed now, thankfully. 
> 
> Next part onwards covers the conclusion of Chapter 2, and some of the plot points that are brought up here become relevant later on, but that’s all in due time. 
> 
> PD: I also wanted to take a second to say that none of what is displayed here is condoned in any way, as this will not be the only instance that scenes like these are shown. 
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


	16. Chapter 2: Light Shines Over The Beaten Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: Gunshots

_I´m….Alive?_

The seamlessness of his position relative to the ground made it seem as if he was still in agony. Once Himiko reared her head to look at Shuichi’s expression, he snapped back to reality.

Kaede’s somber and terrified expression had been engraved into his brain now, and comparing it to someone as aloof as Himiko was the last thing he wanted out of this. 

Shuichi grasped his own face as he looked at Himiko and Angie. By this point, this same sequence had occurred so many times that he started to think that it was only a transition between one point and another. 

Like usual, the remainders of his previous reset had not faded yet: His throat ached with intensity, and the fact that he was lying down made his legs feel weak. The private training he had gone through in the previous loop had been undone, so he had to get used to the feeling of being fragile. 

The two girls were surprised to see that Shuichi himself was trying to grasp them. From their perspective, his exhausted face and sudden change of emotions made him come off as strange. 

“Did you think the Saw Trick was real? Maybe my magic really does work on detectives the best” Himiko guessed, praising herself for her efforts. 

“It's just an illusion, I don´t think most people would be scared by it” Shuichi said

“You say that, but you were desperate for help just a moment ago” Angie said “Or are you that confident in being Himiko´s assistant?”

_Ah, I forgot that I was supposed to be scared by it….A few days can make all the difference_

Shuichi was not fooling around anymore. He had received enough torment from Maki, was ahead of his training with Kaito, and was slowly understanding the source of Kaede´s internal turmoil. 

“From now on, I´m going to be very busy, so I don't think I can keep being your assistant” Shuichi said, putting one of his hands on Himiko’s shoulder, as if trying to comfort her. 

“Himiko doesn't have any other candidates, so we'll need you to do your part” Angie said, clasping her hands together

“No, I have another one...But as I said, it's not going to work” Himiko shook her head, starting to become uneased by their comments

“You´re talking about Tenko, right? She could be a better assistant than me, and she´s also interested in you, Himiko” Shuichi said, looking closely at her 

“Nyeeeh, I don't want her to join, she's going to keep coddling me…” Himiko said. Angie nodded in response as well, happy due to her answer. 

“What can I say? You’ll have to get used to it” Shuichi said, shrugging while smiling softly. 

“Then, are you trying to say that you’re cancelling our contract?” Himiko asked

The girl, being a magician, naturally misunderstood the purpose behind Shuichi’s words. The sleight of hand did indeed fool her, but for a completely different reason. 

If I want things to change, then I’ll just have to do it in the way Himiko wants instead. 

Shuichi nodded in complete and unequivocal agreement. “Yes, our contract can’t continue like this. Maybe we aren’t compatible after all” 

“Whaaaaat?!” Himiko said, exasperated. 

“And that’s why we need to break it. Wouldn’t it be bad for you if you partnered up with someone like me?” Shuichi suggested, tugging his hand. He was trying to put emotion into it, in order to make it more convincing. 

“Hmmm….Atua believes that a contract needs to be broken by both parties” Angie said, looking at Himiko for confirmation with curiosity “So, do you accept those terms?”

“I don’t….I need an assistant….” Himiko said, looking to the side and clutching her hat “Besides, I don’t know how to break it…..”

“Then you know who to call. Go ask her. I’m sure she’ll accept it gladly” Shuichi said, and she was left confused as to what that implied about her. 

“I see…..” Angie said, closing her eyes in concentration “‘That is a good answer for my being’ says Atua. He would benefit from having a more compatible assistant, like you said” 

Now we’re starting to get somewhere. I was worried that they’d keep pulling me in. 

“If that’s what Atua says, then I can only accept that, right?” Shuichi asked, starting to walk away from them “I’m sure the show will be a success, so work hard on it” 

——-He left the room without saying another word.

Shuichi felt like a jerk for hurting Himiko’s feelings like that, but he realized that she wouldn’t be able to let go of him otherwise. Then again, it’s not like he hated their tricks, either. 

Ignoring everything that was happening around him, making a new ally or two wouldn’t hurt, as it meant that it was one person less to be concerned of. 

(.........)

It took me about six minutes to run from the second floor of the Academy and meet Kaito in the Casino, even after speaking with Himiko and Angie first. From there, it would take us another six minutes to confront Maki. When I tried to face her ahead of time, not only did she react even more violently, but she gave me no chance to prevent it from happening at all….

Still, what can I do with these six minutes?

Every step of the thinking process took a second of time away from him. As he passed through the second floor, he considered meeting with Kaito and explaining everything, but chose not to. The consequences had snowballed into a completely different result than he desired. Prioritizing Maki over Kirumi was the best decision, as he confirmed that she hadn´t quite made up her mind about committing murder until tomorrow. There was still a chance to have her change her mind tomorrow, as there wasn't much time left. 

To make matters worse, there was his inability to speak about certain topics. Talking about Maki in general caused no reaction, but there was something about his own fate that caused him to have a sudden heart attack. It wasn’t something that had occurred before at all, so he wasn’t sure if it was stress or something else. There was an unnervingly automatic sensation to it, as if his own body was being crushed by a supernatural force. 

His focus came back to the hallway near the Gym. He was sprinting as fast as he could through it. Out of everything he knew, the most important fact of all was that Maki sought him out personally. It was true that she also wanted her Motive Video back, but he seemed to be the assassin’s first priority. Her personality had changed so much from before, as if she was a completely different person….

**SLAM!**

Shuichi and Maki crashed into each other, running in opposite directions. The assassin was sent flying against the wall as the detective rolled on the ground. He had found her just in time. Kaede wasn’t with her either, so it was early enough. 

She was the first to get on her feet, engaging Shuichi in fury. He had gotten used to her movements thanks to his previous experiences, so he was capable of dodging her first attempt at grasping his neck. 

“What are you doing here?” Maki asked him in command 

“I´m trying to help you out...That's what I'm doing” Shuichi said. 

Like a raging storm, Maki moved her hands forward to catch Shuichi off-guard, but he was able to stand aside, just barely dodging it again. 

“Tch!” Maki said, as she found herself perplexed by the detective´s capability to predict the trajectory of her moves. She walked a few steps away to survey his movements “You don't even know how to fight. How are you doing that?” 

“I want to talk with you. Please. Let's keep this between us, okay---?” Shuichi´s attempt to bargain with Maki was rendered a failure, as she instead pressed her feet on his own, making him flinch, and dropped him on the floor. 

As Shuichi tried to keep her away, she instead performed a chokehold maneuver on him, not allowing him to breathe properly. 

“M-Maki….! I´m not interested in your Motive Video, I don´t know why you´re so insistent----!” Maki´s arms pressed harder on his neck, cutting off his speech. 

“Keep quiet. You talk too much” Maki scolded him. 

“No, you're forgetting----One thing, Maki---” Shuichi´s phrases were falling apart, but he kept going regardless of what she said. 

She didn't respond, she was focused on her own technique, so it was a sign that he could continue. 

“Kaito---And me----And Kaede---The three of us want to be---your friends---!” Shuich grasped Maki´s arms from the front in order to have her let go, and was surprised to see that she no longer posed any resistance. 

Maki Harukawa was in a temporary state of shock. She mumbled something inaudible to herself, not moving from the position she was in.

Shuichi stood up from the floor, and realized that same fact himself. He didn´t know how hard those words had hit her, or if they had even been of use in a positive way. They looked silently at one another for a full minute, not exchanging a single word. 

Kaito arrived at the scene after hearing the commotion that was unfolding. He was worried about the fact that Shuichi had not arrived at the Casino at all. Kaito waved at Maki from the distance, but she broke out of her trance for an instant, and, realizing what had just happened, took that chance to flee from the scene. It was easy to tell where she was going, but they decided not to pursue her any longer.

“That Maki….I´m not sure what came over her, but I'm glad she got her problems sorted out” Kaito said “You´re probably shocked from that, so I won't push you to continue”

“Let's go meet Kaede. I need to talk to her, now that everything's back to normal” Shuichi said 

“I’ll pass on that. She wanted to talk with me earlier, so I want to know if this is related to it” Kaito said

Shuichi was surprised by Kaito’s sudden denial this time around, but understood the reason behind it. His words were honest: If he considered Kaito to be a close friend, then it was only natural that Maki would be part of his friend group as well. Knowing about her background, he couldn´t exactly blame her for it. 

(..........)

To Shuichi’s surprise, Kaede was already outside her own Dorm Room by the time Shuichi arrived there in a hurry. If Korekiyo hadn’t walked up to the doors as well, he would’ve been much more excited on the outside than he was on the inside.

“Ah, it’s you, Shuichi…” Kaede said

“This is a strange thing to say, but did Maki do anything to you?” Shuichi asked her. Even if he was ninety-nine percent sure that everything was going according to plan, a chance of failure was still a chance. 

“No….No, of course not” Kaede said “I’m surprised you’d say that. I mean, what I said yesterday could’ve given you that impression, but…” 

“Kaede” Shuichi said

She looked at him with surprise, taken aback by his sudden change in tone. 

“I’m glad you’re back” Shuichi said “It was getting lonely doing all this work by myself” 

“You’re so dramatic..” Kaede said. Her tone was much more playful and casual now “I’m in a bad mood for a day and you get all worried about me?” 

If only she knew just how much time had passed. How many experiences were had between their separation and current reunion. The reason for his reset would remain a secret he takes to the grave, if it came down to it. 

“If I may…..” Korekiyo raised his voice, as he was trying to get a point across. “What is there to be concerned about regarding Maki? It seems to be an odd idea to bring up without reason”

Shuichi and Kaede, who had failed to notice that he was still there, eavesdropping on their conversation, scrambled to gather their thoughts again.

“Y-Yeah, that’s true. I was just curious about what her Research Lab could be like” Shuichi said, as an excuse. 

“I concur. One can only wonder just what exactly she is hiding behind her icy front” Korekiyo said, starting to ramble off on his own, distinctive tangent “Is she trapped in there, akin to a cage? Or is the place trapped with her, reminiscent of a void? It makes me curious…”

“I think Kaito’s already planning on doing something like before, so let’s go meet him next” Kaede said, trying to excuse the both of them so they didn’t get caught in an endless rabbit hole. 

Their conversation would have to continue on in another time, but his sentiments were genuine. Even if he had only known her for a week, she was still someone he could depend on, and it gave him someone to look up, even if they were equals in reality. 

(.........)

After a few minutes of searching for Kaito around the Academy, they found him standing outside Maki’s Research Lab. He seemed to be troubled by her lack of an answer. His head was pressed against the door, with a solemn posture. 

“Huh? Why are you outside her lab, Kaito?” Kaede asked him

“It’s a long story” Kaito said, looking at Shuichi while scratching his neck “But the point is, I want to help Maki gain more self-confidence”

“She doesn’t seem like the type to have a bad opinion of herself..” Kaede said 

“I know a person like that when I see ‘em. It’s an instinct of mine” Kaito said

Their discussion prompted a reaction from the door, which was opened slightly. 

“Maki? Open the door, we’re coming in” Kaito said, as he knocked twice on the door.

“Maki. Or as I put it, ‘Maki-roll’——“ Kaito replied with a chuckle, but the door was opened with immense might. The astronaut was pushed down before he could do anything. 

“Call me that again, and the Killing Game will start with you as the victim” Maki said coldly. Her hushed tone indicated a hidden sense of embarrassment. 

“Kaito! Are you alright?” Kaede tried to help him up, but he did so with ease. 

Shuichi was legitimately concerned by her remark, and for good reason. However, Maki’s tense stare eased up, and it was a sign that she herself wasn’t taking it seriously. 

“Make it quick, I don’t want Kokichi spreading rumors about me” Maki said, walking inside her room while watching her own back. 

He felt a curious sense of dejá vu as he walked inside the room he had just died in. It was as if everything had been cleaned up, and nothing remained. Not even Maki was aware that she had once killed him here, too. 

Kaito was surprised to see that his suspicions were confirmed. The grey locker immediately caught his attention, and he opened it with curiosity. Several grey handbags were resting on top of one another. Upon opening them, he saw that they contained crossbows that were held inside it. 

“This is great! We have all we need for our training now!” Kaito turned to Kaede and Shuichu while holding the crossbows in his hands. 

“Shouldn’t we start with the Courtyard? I feel some of us aren’t ready for something like that” Shuichi said

“Forget the Courtyard! This one’s even better! We’ll be doing target practice today!” Kaito announced 

He was referring to another section of Maki’s Research Lab, which contained various transparent silhouettes that moved from left to right in a predictable pattern. Bearing a target in their “chest”, they acted as a way to train the shooter’s aim. 

Kaede, who had already gotten prepared by grabbing a small handgun, stood in front of them. “I’ve never used these before, so….”

“Give it your best shot and let’s see what happens” Kaito said with confidence

Kaede aimed the weapon at one of the silhouettes and shot at it without hesitating. However, the piercingly-loud noise that came out of it made Kaede cover her ears from the recoil. The shot came through, hitting the head. 

“Monokuma didn’t give us headphones to block out the sound, don’t be an idiot” Maki said, scolding her like a parent. 

Kaede sighed at her attempt at an insult, slightly pissed by her words “Like you’d know about weapons…”

Luckily for her, Kaede’s ears did not receive any significant damage. This was due to the handgun being an airsoft model, which reduced the amount of sound it produced. Additionally, the force at which it struck the silhouettes was only moderately strong at best. 

“What about you, Kaito? Want to try it out?” Shuichi asked 

“It’s more fun to watch you do it. I’ll stay out of it for today” Kaito said, sitting down on the floor. 

“He's probably not familiar with these kinds of things” Kaede said “I don't blame him” 

“Of course I know! Physical training is my forte, so I wanted to learn the basics first” Kaito said, simulating a punching motion with his fists. 

With his refusal to participate, Shuichi took another minigun and decided to give it a try. He was much more careful due to Kaede’s blunder, aiming the weapon as far away from his person as possible. The shot failed, though it was clean enough to not make a loud sound again. 

“Now it’s all down to Maki, huh? I want to see what she’s capable of, given this is her place and all” Kaito said as a challenge

Maki approached her collection of weapons and grabbed a handgun. However, it was slightly bigger than the other ones. She moved Shuichi aside with the push of her hands, and stood in front of the targets. 

**BANG! BANG!**

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

A flurry of bullets flew out of every single chamber, striking the shilouette’s center effortlessly. She did it in such an effective manner that Shuichi and Kaede rushed to the entrance without delay, not wanting to get shot by her, their ears covered. 

With a swift movement, she lowered her weapon, looking at the results of her carnage. She was annoyed by the fact that they chose to run away so cowardly, but there was no helping it, they weren't like her to begin with. 

“I-I changed my mind. Shouldn’t we just hide these from everyone? It’s too good an incentive for killing someone” Kaede suggested nervously 

“These weapons are just copies. The most they’d do is startle you” Maki said, putting the handgun back in its place. 

“Yeah, get everyone else to believe that” Kaede said, her hand shaking slightly from the intensity of the shots. 

“If you’re going to complain so much, then leave. This was Kaito´s idea, wasn't it? You shouldn't be here” Maki said coldly. She and Kaede were once more in an intense staredown. 

“Alright, alright” Kaito said, attempting to defuse the situation “We can continue this later. It was getting late anyway, huh?” 

New quirks and perks of the Ultimate Assassin were slowly uncovered. He didn’t regret leaving that place behind, it carried so many uncomfortable feelings with it. 

(.........)

Shuichi remembered the task that Rantaro gave him last time, and tried to think harder about what he meant. As he passed through the Courtyard’s nighttime scenery, he realized that there was still an opportunity to change another important fact about his loop. 

As he entered Miu’s Research Lab again, he was amused to see the scene unfolding before him, as it was different from previous resets. 

The robot´s torso was completely covered in several small gadgets that restrained his movements. He complained about his lack of movement with few words, as even his speech pattern was modified slightly. 

The pieces for the Water Tank were being worked on as well, though they were much smaller in size. Perhaps Miu was only starting to gather the materials for it? 

Apart from them, there was someone else there. Shuichi failed to take them into account, since he wasn't aware of his actions during this day, but it seems he finally found out. 

Rantaro Amami was in the middle of a conversation with Miu, and it was starting to go downhill as none of them could reach an agreement. The topic went without saying, of course. 

He looked at Miu with serious eyes, not letting his vision away from her “I’m not going to repeat myself twice: Drop the Flashback Light”

He knew what Rantaro was up to, but he didn’t think that arriving right here and now would be as crucial to his plan as he thought. 

“YOU drop it, shitface! Can't you see I'm busy?” Miu yelled at him in annoyance 

“I don't think this is the best time to speak like that” K1-B0 intervened, his head turned to have the inventor take notice of his predicament, but she was completely engrossed in the conversation at hand. “Can't you help me take this off?” 

Rantaro was becoming increasingly distrubed by her unwillingness to listen. He turned around to take a break, but saw that the detective himself had entered the room. 

“Oh, you’re here, Shuichi. I didn’t have to ask your for help after all” Rantaro said, pointing at the device on one of the tables “Tell her to get rid of it” 

“As if I'd let you! This is finders-keepers now, so if you want it, you´ll have to take it from me!” Miu rushed over to the Flashback Light and got in front of it. Poking one of the saws hanging from the ceiling made it turn on, and it spun at immensely fast speeds, which could tear anyone who crossed it into two. 

As Rantaro tried to approach, the saw turned, matching his movements.

“Be careful! If you move it around too much you´re going to hit me as well!” K1-B0 looked in horror as the saw came awfully close to his face. As Rantaro briefly backed away, so did the weapon, so the robot gave out a breath of relief. 

Rantaro to the left, Shuich to the right, and Miu and K1-B0 in the center, they were at an impasse. If anyone else were to move, the others would take advantage of it, so there needed to be a specific course of action taken. 

The saw didn't seem to have sensors of any kind on it, so Shuichi wondered if maybe it was being manually controlled by either Miu or K1-B0. The latter tried desperately to get up from the surgical table, only for the saw to once again get closer to him, which had K1-B0 let out a shriek of sheer terror. 

“Didn´t I tell you?! Stay put when I'm working on you!” Miu warned him, and the saw changed its course once more. 

It was a possible hint. If Miu couldn´t control it, then the only other possibility was that K1-B0 himself was doing so without being aware of it. 

“Keebo! Don't move or the saw is going to target you!” Shuichi shouted out at the startled individual. In complete confusion, he nodded with his eyes. 

An impossible bet, one that could've gotten him killed yet again, was set into motion. Shuichi hurled himself onto the saw and moved aside, in order to reach the Flashback Light. Its mechanisms did not change direction at all, only narrowly missing his shirt. Miu was so shocked at his guts that she dropped the drill she was holding.  
Seeing his movements, Rantaro tried to stop him by pushing him aside, seeing that the saw had stopped in place, but Shuichi was capable of grabbing it before the other could. 

Holding it tightly in his hands, he now had the upper hand. 

“That's right, now let´s get out of here before Miu can take it away from us” Rantaro said 

Maki, Kirumi, and even Ryoma, too...They are all motivated by something, and I don't need to know what it is. This is a Killing Game, so, if I were to take their reason for committing murder away…..

“No, I´ve made up my mind. I´m going to keep it” Shuichi said. His hat tilted forwards, which gave him a more ominous aura “If I gave it to you, the others would fight over it”

“I don't have time for this, just hand it over” Rantaro said, approaching Shuichi with annoyance “If you don´t, you´re going to regret it” 

If he was going to regret it, then so be it. This was his best shot at setting the cards in his favor. Things could sort themselves out in due time. 

Shuichi turned away and ran from Miu’s Research Lab, Flashback Light on hand. He sprinted as fast as he could so that none of them could catch him, 

Rantaro immediately tried to reach out his hand to grab it, but Shuichi pushed it away. K!-B0, being a robot, was slow in his movements, and his efforts to remove the gadgets working on him proved to be futile. 

Being midnight, no one else was outside, so he couldn't rely on them to help him right now. Instead, he ran into the Dorm Rooms and inside his room, making sure to lock the door shut behind him. 

A brief silence surrounded the room, Shuichi knew that he couldn't give him the Flashback Light no matter what. He knew instinctively that it was an important asset, but couldn't quite understand why. 

There was a knock, and then another, and then another, and then another, and then another. Incessant knocking.  
No door would be opened that night. If it came to it, he would be willing to wait it out until he went away. Several minutes passed in sequence.

Shuichi lamented the fact that his checkpoint was set in such an unfortunate moment. Why not during the morning, so that he could be able to explore the Academy without interruption? Why not right before Kaede´s outburst, so that he could keep her from getting hurt? Why now, of all times? 

\---The knocking ceded. Its source had walked away from the door. 

He was clutching the Flashback light with enough intensity to have his fingers feel numb, as he sat down on the floor without the strength to get up. The nails of his fingers were carved into the glass, making an uncomfortable sound as they scratched it slowly. 

_If I’m back here again, even after doing something so reckless….It’s confusing. I feel like I still don’t understand what’s happening to me, and this gave me even more questions than answers….._

It had taken him a second to notice, but his eyes were slowly closing, and his mind was drifting away as he was left to his own devices. Sleep was a human necessity, and he needed it more than ever now. As scared as he was by what just happened, he was much more confident about his chances than before. 

\-----The veil of night covered the Academy. For that particular instance, everyone was able to rest easy. Some had hopes for the future, while others were dreading the sunrise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shuichi is applying everything he’s learned thus far into a single attempt. He’s seen how bad it can get, so it’s even more of a motivator to finally set things right.
> 
> Rantaro is probably the most ominous and mysterious character in this story, even if he comes off as a generally calm guy. Just what is he hiding? Is it worth mentioning? Who knows?
> 
> If I calculated things right, Chapter 2 is set to end around the beginning half of November. I’m so happy to see that so many people are liking my story! I promise this is going to go somewhere great, and you all are to thank for that. 
> 
> PD: For those who care, I’m even more excited to upload now since the Re:Zero Web Novel started updating again! It’s like a confidence booster, and it also helps to give me more ideas. 
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


	17. Chapter 2: What We’re Fighting For

Unlike all those other times, no one was there to wake Shuichi up. His legs were numb from the awkward position he slept in, stumbling to raise themselves from the comfortable floor. Getting used to waking up like that was never easy. 

While going through the motions in his head, he once again found himself looking at the contents of Kaito´s Motive Video. It served as a positive routine for him, which helped him stay grounded as to his goal there. Sure. some of the other students clearly had a grudge against them, but the environment only made it worse, so it was important for things to change. 

Overwhelmed by the reality of yesterday, he decided to speak with Kaede before doing anything of relevance. If there was someone who had a plan, even when it seemed dire, it was her. He finally found her in the same classroom they had woken up in, which was nostalgic in every sense of the word. 

“Ever since what happened that day, when Monokuma gave us a chance to survive….” Kaede pondered as she looked at the lockers “....I’ve been thinking: ‘What if we’re not supposed to get out of here?’”

“He’s been giving us one Motive after another to make us commit murder, so it does complicate things” Shuichi said 

“I’m not….talking about that, no…” Kaede said, she grasped one of the classroom seats with her hands “I’m talking about Monokuma’s Class Trial that he keeps bringing up”

“It’s probably just a threat” Shuichi tried to comfort her “Since we didn’t listen to him, he’d want us to be scared of it” 

In a playful manner, Kaede took Shuichi’s hat away from him and kept it in her hands. “Don’t say that. No one else is actually scared here. I’ll make sure that the only person who goes through that is me” 

“K-Kaede.....” Shuichi’s mouth was agape as he processed memories that he refused to bring to the surface. 

_We’ll see each other again, remember?’_

Right now, she looks just like she did in that moment…..The beginning of everything…..

“Ah, did I say something wrong too?” Kaede asked. She noticed what she had just done subconsciously, placing his hat back in his head “Sorry about that, I didn’t notice” 

“I’m just…..happy” Shuichi said “That things turned out for the better after all” 

“Even if we’re the last ones standing, I promise not to do anything rash like that” Kaede said, this time being the one to comfort him “It was stupid of me to think like that…”

“You don’t have to promise anything, because I know it’s not going to happen” Shuichi said in declaration “None of us is going to die” 

Kaede said “That’s the spirit! Monokuma’s got nothing on us!” 

Shuichi couldn’t help but laugh with innocent glee at her response “You’re starting to sound like Kaito, you know?”

“It’s not such a bad thing! It helps us be pumped up for the rest of the day!” Kaede kept up her new persona, which also served as an aid to amp her own mood. “What’s more, I still haven’t showed you the Motive Video I got”

“You don't have to” Shuichi said “I think I know which one you have” 

“If you´re so sure about it, then tell me” Kaede challenged him “Which one do I have?”

“It’s Maki’s, isn’t it?” Shuichi said immediately, and Kaede was left speechless at his foresight. “I can tell because of how she treated you yesterday” 

“That's not fair...In that case, tell me which one you have so we're even” Kaede said, only to correct herself “Actually, let me guess too…..” She began to ponder to herself for a second, before coming to a conclusion “You have Kaito´s, right? That's why you two are friends”

“You're also right” Shuichi said “But I think mine was easier to guess than yours” 

“To tell the truth, I think we should stop listening to Monokuma” Kaaede said confidently “It's a dangerous idea, but it could work just like last time. The Motive Videos only prove that we´re more comfortable hiding secrets from each other” 

_Is it possible that Monokuma wants us to know each other´s motive for murder? What would that accomplish-----?_

´A perfect stalemate´ his mind connected the pieces together with the magnet of logic before he could follow. If everyone was suspicious of one another, then none of them could possibly go through with their crime without fearing being seen as the prime suspect. Kirumi had been completely immobilized because of it the previous time around, so it was possible, but still….

He pitched that idea, to Kaede, who was curious as to how he even came up with such a wild concept. 

“But that's the opposite of what I'm saying! If we do that, we'll just be playing along with his mind games!” Kaede protested, not understanding why he changed his mind 

“But you also said that we can´t go on without trusting each other” Shuichi said “And we can't accomplish that without knowing the truth” 

“You´re right about that, but….” Kaede said “Argh! Why does the Killing Game have to be so complicated?” 

“Kokichi´s been gathering up the Motive Videos since yesterday” Shuichi said “Our best chance at doing so would be to have him help” The jokester was a natural embodiment of chaos, so he knew that refusing his offer would be like denying his very nature. 

Shuichi and Kaede headed to the Dining Hall of their own accord. Kokichi, who was standing there by himself, was disappointed that no one else had arrived yet. This was due to his lack of knowledge on Maki’s talent, and so there was no reason for him to call it.

Instead, it was Shuichi who did, and soon everyone arrived at the Dining Hall as well. No one was missing. 

“This early in the morning? I’m surprised you’re up early for once” Tenko said, yawning and spreading her arms in relaxation. She was following behind Himiko and Angie all morning, hence her sleepiness. 

“I didn´t know when else to do it, since everyone was busy” Shuichi apologized, moving to get everyone's attention. 

“Then spit it out, what are you keeping us here for? Huh?” Miu questioned him. Her free time had been expanded thanks to Shuichi, but now she was suffering from a lack of work. 

Shuichi, with Kaede´s support, tried to explain what they wanted to do, and how they came across that conclusion. 

“Watch everyone´s Motive Videos?” Tsumugi asked in concern “Isn´t that risky?” 

“There's not much we can figure out just from the videos themselves” Shuichi explained, knowing what some of them contained “And besides, if we stick together during the viewing, whoever´s planning on committing a murder would risk having their plans fail” 

“I already have some of them, so I'll need everyone else to cooperate!” Kokichi announced, referring to the Motive Videos that he had previously stolen before this point. 

“As if! I'm not listening to a motive thief!” Tenko complained to him. 

“Interesting proposal, I´ll admit” Korekiyo said “Due to its novelty, however, I would prefer it if discussion was prolonged further” 

Kirumi nodded in approval “I concur. We cannot allow ourselves to fall in monokuma´s trap” 

Some against the idea, some in favor, and others with no knowledge of what was even happening around them, they discussed the repercussions of this plan with one another. 

“If we do hold a viewing for the videos, it can't be in the Gym” Angie interrupted while holding Himiko´s hand “It's already occupied by me and Himiko” 

“I don't want to lose the spotlight to some videos…” Himiko said, trying to brush both Tenko and Angie off of her. “And the new floors can´t be used to see them together”

“Gonta was talking about the monitor he used to see the films” Ryoma said as he stood next to the giant. “That could work” 

K1-B0 spoke out from within the crows “Am I the only one who thinks this idea sounds unfeasible?” He tried to do the robotic equivalent of scratching his head, only to make a metallic screech. Kokichi laughed at him for his blunder, but he acted as if nothing had happened “A-Anyway, my point still stands. I believe some of us would be against the idea”

“One or less, I´ll take it” Rantaro said “But I won't be listening to your plan. It's much more dangerous than just participating in the Killing Game as normal”

“Unfortunately, I agree with your thinking” Kirumi said “This idea was conceived alongside Kokichi. I will not allow foul play to occur between us”

Finally, Maki was the last in the opposition to speak out against it. Though she had refused to speak before, she was now entirely focused on Kokichi as well 

“Do I need to explain myself?. It was all Maki said, as she remained silent, but they decided to take her silence as a refusal. 

Although they were a minority, the three of them had made their stance clear. 

“I'll say it” Kaede intervened into the conversation, getting in front of Shuichi to speak out to the crowd “Because I know where this is going” 

Kaede took a deep breath then continued “If all of us want to make it out of here, we have to trust each other. If even one of us chooses to give up, then we can´t continue. I myself was about to stray myself from that road, but I decided not to, I trusted in everyone's judgement just as much as I do now” 

“That's why, I trust all of you to make the right choice” Kaede said “If we do that´we´ll never fail” 

Out of nowhere, Monokuma himself made an appearance, interrupting her speech. Shuichi wanted to call him out right away, but the others were already suspicious as is, so he had to wait. “Get on with it already! Even I´m getting pissed over here!”

“Hey, Monokuma! Long time no see!” Kokichi said 

“It's only been a day, but it already feels like forever” Monokuma said “Peace in the Academy….it's like poison in my system…But that's not the point! The Motive Videos are supposed to entice you into bashing someone's head in! It's not a movie session!” Monokuma said, annoyed at their defiance 

“That just makes us want to do it even more” Miu said “What's wrong, Monokuma? Do you suck so much at creating technology, you don't want us to see it?” 

“The lack of excitement only led you all to have a lazy lifestyle, didn´t it?” Monokuma reprimanded them “”Alright! That's it! We´re going full Motive time now!” His red eye became much more pronounced as he said “If none of you guys cave in someone else's skull by the end of the day, I´ll reveal the contents of everyone´s Motive Videos”

“That's what we wanted to do from the start” Shuichi said “It doesn't change anything”

“Yeah! You´re late to the party since yesterday!” Kaito pointed at him in accusation. 

“Argh! Whatever! Do what you want! But don't blame me when the Killing Game grows from ´a mild inconvenience´ to ´your worst nightmare´ before you know it! It makes my paws blossom with fury!” Monokuma disappeared from the Dining Hall as swiftly as he had shown up, clawing at the air in frustration. 

K1-B0 was reassured by Monokuma´s reaction “If he's furious, that must mean we´re doing something right, at the very least” 

He was the only one to acknowledge what happened, the rest of them had chosen to start preparing for the event in their own way. Surprisingly enough, the majority was in agreement, but the plan could only work if everyone chose to work together. 

“If that's all for now, then Gonta and me will be waiting in the A/V Room, I suppose” Ryoma said, walking away alongside Gonta. 

The session, though probably just as chaotic as the last, had the silver-lining of remaining peaceful in comparison. Monokuma’s failure to start the Killing Game had made some of them disregard the Killing Game as an empty threat. 

(..........)

Seeing Maki leave, Kaito left the Dining Hall to accompany her. It was predictable of her to end up in her Research Lab, but he didn’t stop trying to get her to talk. After a few minutes of waiting, Maki finally opened the door, standing outside. 

“You’re ready to go now, right?” Kaito asked 

“I won’t go to an event hosted by Kokichi” Maki said “I knew Shuichi was up to something as well”

“Why do you dislike him so much? He’s harmless as far as I know” Kaito said 

“You’re making a mistake by thinking that way” Maki said ’And that’s what makes you an idiot” 

“If believing in what’s right makes me an idiot, then I’m glad to be one” Kaito said, adjusting his jacket “Won’t you at least show up?” 

“If I did that, it would be like accepting that he was right” Maki said “It’s not going to happen”

“And what if he was? What would you do if he was right?” Kaito asked 

“I already showed you yesterday, there’s no need to repeat myself” Maki said. She faced away from Kaito and shut the door in front of his face. 

It was a sign that he should stay away from her, but although he listened to that request, he expected Maki to attend the meeting anyway. 

(.........)

Meanwhile, Kokichi was accompanying Kirumi in her Research Lab. He acted as an intruder inside the room, acting as though she was his new minion now. 

“Make me something to eat” Kokichi ordered Kirumi as he slid down the chair from ‘exhaustion’’. “I’m so hungry….”

“You’ve been stealing food regardless of my advice, I know that much” Kirumi scolded him lightly, as she cleaned the table. 

“No one’s willing to share with me, and my only friend can’t even eat” Kokichi said, shuffling his feet on and off “You don’t want to see me starve from hunger, would you?”

“I will only do what is best for everyone” Kirumi said “And nothing else” 

Kokichi grinned at her with intimidating intent, but the maid showed no change in her behavior. 

“What’s wrong? I thought you were the ‘Ultimate Maid’ or whatever” Kokichi mocked her “Did you just decide to quit the job out of boredom?” He picked up the plate in front of him and spun it around with his fingers “Maybe you’re just jealous that Shuichi’s helping more than you are”. He put it down, smiling at Kirumi “I’d sure love to find out”

“Don't think so highly of yourself” Kirumi said “Thinking you can understand the mentality behind their thinking better than themselves” 

“Better to tell a lie than to say nothing at all. That’s how I do things” Kokichi said, getting up from the chair “And what about you? Do you understand them that well? Or is that what you tell yourself to make them like you?” 

He walked away from the table as he finished speaking with Kirumi “We’ll be waiting for you in the A/V Room, and it’d be boring if you missed out, so don’t be late”. He turned to look at her stern face with silly confidence. 

(...........)

Rantaro himself was back in the Shrine of Judgement. He went there to reflect on Shuichi´s theory, but found nothing useful out of it. It was only morning, yet Rantaro himself seemed to be upset by something. 

“After what happened yesterday, I don’t blame you for being anxious” Rantaro said, greeting Shuichi as he saw him come by “Still, I don’t know if you’re being honest about that”

“About what?” Shuichi asked 

“First you steal the Flashback Light, just like Kokichi, and now you’re trying to get us to show our videos?” Rantaro asked him, shrugging with a neutral expression “It sounds like a reach to me, by all means” 

“Then what can I do to get you to listen?” Shuichi asked “We’ll get nowhere otherwise” 

“Give me a reason to let my Motive Video be seen” Rantaro carried his words with seriousness “Some of us have secrets to keep. You do know that, don´t you?” 

“If you give us your Motive Video, I´ll hand over the Flashback Light” Shuichi put one foot before the other, facing Rantaro directly “I don't mind letting it go, but I do need your help” 

“Then what was all that scandal for?” Rantaro asked “You were very set on taking it from Miu, and not to mention, you didn’t let me explain myself” 

“I can't explain why” Shuichi said “I’d rather not, but we have the same goal, right? To stop the Killing Game, that is. If my idea works, you won’t have to be suspected either, you’ll be in the clear” 

“There’s more to it than that” Rantaro said in a more relaxed tone “But none of us can afford to put our guard down, not even you” 

Shuichi’s eyes lit up “Then you’ll agree to it?”

“Only if it works” Rantaro said “I’ll cancel the session immediately if I suspect Monokuma’s involved somehow” 

Rantaro and Shuichi didn’t meet on even ground, but they understood why they acted the way they did. The detective hoped that he could strengthen his relationship with those who doubt him in the near future. 

(...........)

Since everyone was gathered in the basement, they decided to return to the A/V Room. Previously, it had only been seen by Gonta, but now it served a much more important purpose. 

“I’m taking the front seat! Everyone else, move out!” Miu said confidently, pushing her own weight onto one of the couches. 

“You’re awfully excited about this…” Maki said, keeping her distance as she held a Motive Video in her hands. 

Kokichi was carrying the Motive Videos that he stole in his arms, trying to have it so they didn't fall off. Upon noticing that he had hers, Tsumugi tried to snatch it away from him, leading to yet another innocent scuffle between the two “Now, now, let's not spoil the surprise for the rest of us! We need to see it together!” He said, pulling it away from her. 

Kaede separated the two and grabbed the Motive Video “We’ll get nowhere by fighting like this! Please, listen to us”. Kokichi tried to take it for himself, but she pushed him away “I’ll be keeping it instead, if that’s how it’s going to be”

“Won’t Monokuma be frustrated even more so if we go through with this?” Tsumugi asked 

“Whatever the outcome, I shall accept it” Korekiyo said, lowering his hat 

“T-That’s ominous….” Tsumugi said, backing off from him at a slow pace.

“That reminds me, how are we going to see the Motive Videos on the monitor?” Tenko wondered as she stood next to Himiko and Angie “We have the screen, but where do we put these?” she signaled at her own Motive VIdeo. 

RISE AND SHINE URSINE!

“Did someone say ´movie session´?” Monotaro asked 

“N-No, I think you were supposed to say ´Motive session´” Monophanie corrected

“LEAVE-IT-TO-ME.I-WILL-HANDLE-THE-PROCESS” Monodam said

The three of them approached the recorder and began to kick it around them. Their force was strong enough to have it break into pieces, which they lamented. 

“Monodam! This is all your fault!” Monophanie complained 

“I-I don't know what to say! I thought this was going to work!” Monotaro became nervous 

“CORRECTING-COURSE.CHANGING TOOLSET” Monodam said

He began to fix the device by taking the broken pieces and rearranging them, which made both Monophanie and Monotaro proud of him. The resulting contraption was a small movie player meant for cassettes, but with a lid hanging out from it. 

“Even I'm not sure how they do it” Himiko noted 

“Well then, it's time to watch some movies!” Monotaro said, taking out a bag of popcorn and sitting in front of K1-B0, who was amazed at the fact that he could eat it effortlessly. Monophanie and Monodam sat down near the sides of the screen with childlike anticipation.

Kokichi’s face reflected playful joy and happiness “I can't wait to see the looks on your faces, this is going to be so exciting!”

“Just so we’re clear: Only the people who want to will show them first, then the rest will go next” Rantaro took control of the conversation, instructing the others. 

“Doesn’t that mean we’ll get to see who has which Motive Video?” Himiko asked 

“That’s part of the plan, yes” Rantaro said

“Gonta wants to start the session” Gonta said after raising his hand “Because of the tension between us” 

Ryoma tried to tug his shirt in order to stop him from doing so, but Gonta didn't feel it. He approached the strange device with curiosity, as no one had turned it on before. “It goes inside it, but facing forwards” Ryoma tried to guide him as he put it in several erroneous positions, as the Monokubs hadn't bothered to explain how it worked, until he cracked the solution, and the Motive Video turned on by itself, hooked to the monitor in front of them. 

The screen blared to life, as all of their eyes were glued to the screen. No matter the results, it was a tense but exciting atmosphere that surrounded all of them. 

But for Shuichi, he was closely watching the actions of Kirumi and Maki. It wasn’t a coincidence that last time something similar to this happened, it ended as an absolute carnage. 

The mistress of death and the assassin of dreams were here to stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to delay this chapter a bit due to the timing of.....certain important events. It doesn’t affect me personally, but because I know most people would be busy with it, I kept that in mind for my usual schedule. 
> 
> And yes, this is exactly what it sounds like! Things are bound to get intense once their secrets start to be uncovered one by one. Hopefully it succeeds in the end. 
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


	18. Chapter 2: Motive Video Theater

The sight that unfolded before them was complete confirmation that the video he received was not his own. Even knowing that, however, it was worth acknowledging that its contents were quite….bizarre, for the beholder. 

There was a gigantic crowd gathered in the camera, and they were all dressed in outfits of all kinds. Knowing Tsumugi’s talent, it was only natural that they were fellow cosplayers themselves. Their clothing was completely unfamiliar to the students, some of them wore a down-to-earth attire, while others were completely unrecognizable. 

One of them, a young girl, noticed that the camera was on, and said “Whooohoo! I’m on TV!” But he was interrupted by someone else in the crowd “P-Please get back in line…I-It’s just a camera, right?” Their situation had become clear now: They were cosplaying for a special event, akin to what Tsumugi had spoken about during their first few days in the Academy. 

The fate of her fans was put into question. The only logical outcome, with the information available to them, was that they were all being held hostage by Monokuma, shouting out phrases they did not believe in.

Once the video was over, Tsumugi hurriedly approached the device with an embarrassed expression, and took her Motive Video out. 

“You certainly sell yourself short, for having such a captivating audience” Korekiyo said

“T-They were just friends from my cosplay club, you see…” Tsumugi explained herself to them “But for them to be the people I treasure most in the world…? Isn’t that sad for someone as plain as me?” She was seemingly lost in thought, adjusting her glasses with melancholy. 

Another angle of this showing was in discussion between the others. Although its contents were confusing, they weren’t anything out of the ordinary, as far as they knew. 

“You had Tsumugi’s Motive Video, Gonta?” Ryoma asked him

“Gonta didn’t understand what was happening” He scratched his head as he explained it “There are so many people in outside world we don’t know about….”

“Since most of us don’t have our own video, it stands to reason that Tsumugi doesn’t have hers either” Rantaro said 

“Y-Yeah, the one I have isn’t mine. It would be best if you saw for yourselves” Tsumugi said 

Rantaro didn’t take such a request slightly “If we do it that way, we won’t know who’s going next. Like I said, it’s supposed to be up to each of us”

“Still, I felt it was necessary for us to see it” Tsumugi said “Should I say whose it is?”

She received a nodding agreement in response and so, she located the Motive Video she held before from the pile, and announced “This is….Angie’s, I think”

“What’s that video going to help us with?” Tenko asked “I’d rather show mine!” 

“Let’s just see what happens” Rantaro said, looking closely at the screen “I’m personally curious about it” 

Having received confirmation from Rantaro, Tsumugi approached the device and inserted the Motive Video inside it. She sat down next to Monotaro and Kaede, who had left an empty space. 

The contents of the next Motive Video depicted a cheery, isolated island in the middle of the ocean.  
The island’s chief was there to greet Angie personally. However, his tone was much more depressed and off-put than Angie’s description indicated.

“Ever since the holder of Atua’s will left our island...Ever since that day, our mornings have been darkened with sorrow” 

Because Angie was believed to be the “head” of their entire system, her absence left a massive hole in their internal affairs. If she wasn’t there to speak of Atua, was He even there anymore? It was a mixed response. 

The girl in question was staring off into space as she walked over to grab the Motive Video without delay. With movements akin to spiritual possession, she too grabbed another device from the pile. 

“A-Angie...I wanted to tell you about it, but everyone was so tense…” Tsumugi said, lamenting that Angie knew the truth.

Angie clasped her hands together “Atua is everywhere. Even if He is with me at the moment, I’m sure He will bring them happiness as well” 

“That person in the video….was he your master? I can’t believe you’d listen to him!” Tenko protested 

“It’s not just him, I have an entire legion of followers in the island” Angie said with a wide smile “Isn’t it just great?” 

“That’s two videos out for now!” Kokichi said, looking around for candidates. “So it’s your turn, Angie. What’s your opinion of it?” 

“Hmmm…..” Angie took a moment to respond, her swaying stopped suddenly as she was formulating an answer “Let’s make it a surprise, for everyone present” 

The third video of the day loaded up on the screen, and it carried with it a completely different tone from the others. Rather than portraying a group of people, or a single person, all there was in it was a picture. 

“Unfortunately, we were unable to contact the person who they treasure most” Monokuma said, disappointed in himself “What’s done is done, and we can’t change the past, can we?” 

Korekiyo reacted to his Motive Video with calm relief. He said nothing as he took out the Motive Video from the device. However, he got lost in thought as he stared at it solemnly. 

Of all people, it was Kaito who chose to comfort the anthropologist. He put a hand to his shoulder, breaking him from his trance “Come on, we have to finish this” 

“We’ll be together again in the blink of an eye, I am sure of that” Korekiyo said to the Motive Video, and finally moved ahead with Kaito. 

K1-B0 was the next one to stand up “Before we proceed, I need to clarify something” 

“Is it about your video?” Kaede asked 

“That’s correct” K1-B0 said “Unlike everyone else, I am in a different situation: The video I have is my own. Is anyone here in the same position as me?”

No one answered that particular question. The atmosphere reeked of suspicion and curiosity either way. 

“I would like to abstain from the viewing, since I don’t benefit from having its contents leaked” K1-B0 proposed, getting up from his spot. He began to walk outside the A/V Room “It wouldn’t be fair for me to stay without sharing it, so I’ll leave for now” 

“Ditching out just like that? Ha, you’re such a loser” Miu said, laughing at him. 

“I-I will refrain from answering such attacks on my person!” K1-B0 said, as he made his way outside. 

_I feel that I can trust K1-B0. He’s not the type to act irrationally without cause._

Miu hadn’t gotten over the fact that K1-B0 spoke with such a formal and robotic tone, for someone who claims to be human deep down. A contrast that made it all the more amusing for her, of course. 

“Should we stop for now?” Tsumugi asked “I think some of us are starting to get nervous from the experience…”

“Let’s keep going, we’re already far too deep into this mess anyway—” Kaede said 

“Allow Monotaro to assist with the proceedings” Korekiyo said abruptly

“M-Me?!” Monotaro responded to it with a late reaction, looking to either side in nervousness. 

“If this is how Monokuma intended it to occur, then we must approach it accordingly” Korekiyo sat in a thinking posture “I’m afraid the meeting could come to an end without proper procedure”

“Just pick one and get on with it!” Miu yelled at the two of them “Your talking is starting to piss me the hell off!” 

Monotaro grabbed a random Motive Video from the pile and rushed to insert it into the device.

“Wait! We don’t know who it belongs to—!” Shuichi realized as he reached out his hand to stop it, but it was too late….

The next Motive Video to appear on-screen displayed a lush and vibrant jungle. The sounds of howling wolves and other wild animals could be heard loud and clear. The ones in front of the camera, however, were whimpering. Monokuma revealed that Gonta’s caretakers had left the jungle for a mysterious reason, and never came back. 

“Unlike us grizzly bears, the animals of this forest do not speak human” Monokuma said, suddenly appearing in the footage to make an announcement “What could their testimonies have been? Just what are they trying to tell us?” He further taunted Gonta across the video. It was unlike any of the others thus far. 

Gonta was shaken by the footage shown in his Motive Video, eyes wide with shock. Despite seeing the other videos so far, none had been as personal as this one was for him. 

“Hey, turn it off” Ryoma commanded Monotaro with a menacing expression, and he followed through out of fear. The footage was cut before Monokuma could finish explaining. 

Ryoma got up from his seat and faced away from the group. His voice was much more dismissive than usual “Well, that’s enough viewing for one day, I think”

Kaito was confused about his sudden insistence on leaving “Don’t you want to see your Motive Video?” 

“Ryoma, please don’t leave yet” Tsumugi pleaded with him “We were supposed to face this together, right?” 

“Stay if you want” Ryoma said, his words cutting through their questioning. “But don’t involve me in this any more than I have to” 

Ryoma was gone before Gonta could contest his decision. He stared at them with confusion, and then back at the hallway “Gonta is sure that forest family is still waiting, no matter what” 

With three out of the session, and with Ryoma’s Motive Video still in the pile, things started to take a turn for the worse. Rantaro, however, was the only one who remained silent. 

“It’s a shame that he left before I could return the favor, but….” Rantaro said, approaching the pile with swift hands. “Which one of you had my Motive Video?”

Himiko raised her right hand “It was me, I think...I didn’t really understand what was in it, though”

Shuichi turned his attention towards Himiko and Rantaro’s conversation “That’s all the more reason for us to see it, to clear things up” 

“Oooh! This is going to be interesting!” Kokichi said “Place your bets! Will Rantaro get his memories back or not? Time is running out!”

“I would prefer it if you stayed silent” Kirumi broke her own silence just to quiet him down. 

Himiko grabbed a Motive Video, the one which was furthest away from the pile, and inserted it into the device. For some reason, Monotaro let out a silly chuckle as she did so. 

At first, there seemed to be a momentary static that covered the screen. Its pitch black colors did not change, however. And so, they waited a second, and then another…..

“———————“

“————“

“——-“

The Motive Video did not show anything of value at all. Even Ryoma’s revealed that no one on the outside was waiting for him, but Rantaro’s was completely devoid of any particular meaning. 

Rantaro’s expression grew somber as he realized that his only resource for seeking out his identity, a reason for his being there, was stripped away before he could even formulate that conclusion. 

For a full minute, the group anticipated a possible delay in feedback, but there was nothing. The only sign of activity on the screen was a single question mark, which appeared in the middle of the screen right at the end. 

Rantaro’s silence grew at a pronounced rate. Because his reaction couldn’t be discerned at a glance, it was all the more concerning to see him like that. 

“Show me my Motive Video” Rantaro ordered Monotaro

“I-It’s right there! W-We just saw it!” Monophanie responded with anxiety in her voice

“Did that look like a Motive Video to you?” Rantaro asked him coldly “What am I supposed to get out of it?” 

“A-MOTIVE-VIDEO-IS-A-MOTIVE-VIDEO” Monodam replied 

His frame towering over the duo of scared robots, he looked at them with stoic anger. 

“Aaaah! I’m getting eaten by a bigger bear! I didn’t want to end up like this!” Monotaro wailed out in anguish. 

“One of you must know something about it—!” Rantaro harshly confronted Monotaro and Monophanie, but was stopped abruptly.

The swift swipe of a hand flew across the air and slapped Rantaro’s cheek. It landed in such a way as to make him stumble from shock. 

“We don’t know what Monokuma’s hiding from us” Kaede said “You can’t expect him to reveal the truth just like that”

Rantaro gently touched his slapped cheek as the pain subsided. He looked at Kaede with a calmer expression “That was a strong hand you have there. It’s almost enough to knock some sense into me” 

“Some of us haven't seen our video yet. You can’t say for certain that you’re the only one who’s going through this” Kaede said

“I *am* the only one with amnesia, though” Rantaro pointed out “And that’s undeniable” 

He took a deep breath as Kaede saw him calm down “I just wish my talent of all things wasn’t what was taken from me” Rantaro said, settling himself beside Shuichi, now that K1-B0’s spot was empty. Processing what had just happened, Rantaro was left dumbfounded, so someone else had to continue. 

“I’ll do it” Kaito said, standing up towards the pile

“Do...what exactly?” Shuichi asked him

“I’m tired of seeing us fight like this” Kaito said, looking at Maki “Before we met each other properly, we all hated everyone else for no reason. I don’t blame any of you for thinking that way, but it has to stop”

“One secret at a time, we’re all going to understand each other” Kaito said 

The astronaut’s words did not bring comfort to Kokichi. For a single second, the latter considered stopping Kaito right then and there. However, wouldn’t the possibility of knowing the truth be much more exciting? If his identity remained a lie, he’d be forced into a role he wasn’t meant to play. But now, Kaito gave him an out that would change the meaning of his actions forever……..

(..........)

D.I.C.E 

It was an organization unlike any other. Their knack for performing pranks and silly jokes on people earned them quite the pathetic reputation. Including a grand total of ten members, not ten thousand, their aim revolved around causing chaos without harm. It was hard for anyone to take them seriously with the checkered get-up that they wore. 

Shuichi, who was surprised to see that such a seemingly terrifying individual could be so innocent, noticed that Kaito himself was smiling rather proudly at the contents of Kokichi’s Motive Video. It was such a bizarre reaction, from someone who has punched him before. 

“What was that….?” Teno asked, perplexed at the sight. Upon seeing such a ridiculous thing, 

Miu laughed at Kokichi without stopping, having finally achieved her comeuppance “This entire time, you were just a shit-faced clown?” 

“And that’s the same outfit you were carrying around before….!” Tenko said, realizing it suddenly

Even Maki, as Shuichi noticed, was briefly surprised to see that Kokichi was not as dangerous as she thought him to be. 

Kokichi took it all in before the words he meant to say would come out of his mind and into his mouth. “Oh, you thought that was it?” He danced in front of the screen as he presented his imprisoned members with his hands “Those are just the leaders of my organization! There are still hundreds of members scattered across the world, awaiting my orders! None of you would understand the role of a leader like I do”

“That's a shitty excuse if I've ever seen one!” Miu said “You´re just making things up now!”

“It's all true though!” Kokichi said “Take however long you need to process it, it doesn't change a thing! The evil of an Ultimate Supreme Leader can come in more than one way!” 

Kaede took a breath of relief “For a second, I thought you were telling the truth. It’s good to know that was just a bold-faced lie” 

“You can’t lie as well as I can, but I appreciate your efforts” Kokichi said 

Kaede shrugged after looking at Kaede “If that's what he says, I can’t argue against that” his grin wasn’t dropping one bit. 

The atmosphere had improved immensely from before. Things were starting to look up for now, as their attention had drifted to Kokichi´s wild antics and just as silly explanation. 

“It's time for the grand finale!” Kokichi said, picking up an announcer’s voice “After a boring video filled with soooo many lies, we need to compensate with one that's way more exciting than all the others combined!” 

“We’re ending it already?” Shuichi asked with concern “There’s still some videos left—-“

Kokichi pointed at Kirumi, who was standing behind Rantaro “You're next in line for our presentation, Kirumi! Aren't you excited?”. He repeatedly tugged on Kirumi´s outfit to get a response out of her, but she immediately reacted in defense, standing up and pushing Kokichi aside. 

“It’s still early for us” Angie said, speaking right at Himiko as the other conversation was going on “But I’m starting to get an adrenaline rush from all the secrets! What do you think yours is, Himiko?”

“Maybe I’m a real wizard too?” Himiko asked her, peering to the side to see the conflict “I don’t think it’s time to talk though…”

Kirumi and Kokichi were facing each other firmly, as the session grew from mildly interesting to intense. 

“This session has gone on for far too long, has it not?” Kirumi asked them for confirmation “I have no further comments to make, and would be pleased to leave as have done K1-B0, Ryoma and Gonta” She began to look for the Motive Video that she had strategically placed in order to find it post-haste, but failed to do so. 

At that moment, Kokichi began to laugh to himself, making fun of the maid. “Maybe, you were looking for…” he took something out of his shirt, revealing it to be an additional Motive Video that he was carrying. It was spun in the air like an exhibition “....This?”

“Kokichi! Please give it back to Kirumi!” Tsumugi shouted out to him 

“If she wants it, she´ll just have to come and get it!” Kokichi said, only to abruptly look down in shame “It's her fault for making me curious about her motive…”

Because Kokichi refused to let go of it, no matter what she did, he had openly declared his interest in her secret. It was only a matter of time before it would be exposed for everyone to see. Unlike the faker, she needed to remain secretive as much as possible. 

Suddenly, the Ultimate Maid did something that none of them had expected her to attempt during their stay there. It happened in a flash, and even Kokichi was astonished by her daringness.

Kirumi incapacitated Shuichi as she took out a knife from her dress and held him at knifepoint. It was close enough to his neck for any false moves to instantly result in a deadly slash. 

Shuichi’s face went completely pale as the far too familiar sensation of a knife pressing against his skin was presented to him once more. 

“K-Kirumi! Stop it!” Kaede tried to take the knife away from her, but she dodged her reach. “What will the others think if you went through with this?!”

“My duty does not rest upon you all, but in the midst of the outside world” Kirumi said, tightening her grasp on Shuichi. “It would be pointless to explain myself, so I will not elaborate further”

_Why did she suddenly single me out? Wasn’t Kokichi taunting her in the first place?_

As Shuichi and Kirumi were struggling to get a hold of one another, Tenko readied herself in a battle stance to take care of her, while shielding both Himiko and Angie. 

“I don’t care who you are! If you’re trying to threaten us, then leave!” Tenko yelled at her

But Kirumi did not listen. 

She located Maki, who was watching her closely as well, and prepared to strike. 

In that split second, Kaito launched himself against the aim of the knife, slashing his jacket into halves. Maki’s eyes narrowed as Kaito began to pant from exhaustion.

The assassin, faster than the eye could see, sprinted forwards to stop Kirumi from slashing Shuichi’s throat as well. At speeds that could only be described as “superhuman” the maid and the assassin fought one another for the knife in her hands.

This very weapon forced Maki to exercise caution as she blocked any incoming attacks that could harm Shuichi or Kaito. It turned out to be a wise decision, however, as Tenko attempted to get closer to her and launched a karate chop, only to be kicked away by the maid. 

As the three Monokubs ran away from the A/V Room out of terror, they were followed by Kirumi, still holding onto Shuichi, and Maki, who tried to apprehend her as well. Having her hands full with the girl, she was forced to let go of him, and he fell to the corridor due to his lack of balance.

“You’ve been planning to do this since the Motive Videos were given out” Maki said as she stared right into Kirumi’s soul “I’m sure of it”

In response, Kirumi bowed before the assassin, as a greeting “In my country, enemies of the state are not taken lightly. To you, I am but a simple maid. To my people, however, I am their voice, their strength, their reason to live on” 

Even Korekiyo was starting to show interest in the ensuing conflict, as he peered his head from outside the door. Tsumugi was terrified at the sight of battle. 

“For their sakes, it is my duty to preserve their futures above all else” Kirumi said, as the others watched dumbfounded at her speech “I will take myself out with you, if that is your desire”

The wheels of time spun further and further, as new possibilities emerged from the truth that was now known.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s safe to say that things have officially escalated into an all-out brawl. Some of these revelations were probably taken too lightly, is what I think, but that’s the price of overconfidence, isn’t it? The lack of a proper trial segment seems to have shifted the game’s genre slightly, but it was to be expected. 
> 
> We’re also getting closer and closer to the end (of this segment) as the chapters pass by, so there’s that to look forward to. 
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


	19. Chapter 2: Struggle

Amidst the chaos, Kokichi walked over to the warring duo to see what they were up to. As the battlefield unfolded before them, none of them knew whether it was wiser to stay put, run away, or intervene. 

“All this over some video?” Kokichi mocked Kirumi as she fought Maki off “I thought you were smarter than that. Really, I did”. 

Both the maid and the assassin looked back at him, and said “Quiet” in unison. Their fighting styles were polar opposites in every sense of the word: Kirumi focused solely on creating an impenetrable wall of feints, whereas Maki chose to overpower her opponents before they could read her moves. 

Korekiyo put a hand to his shoulder as he was about to proceed. “Rash decisions like that could get you killed. You do understand that, do you not?” 

Kokichi looked at him with disappointment, but suddenly smiled “Dying doesn’t sound so bad right now. I’d be first in line if I were you” 

Such an answer caused the anthropologist to react with concern. He took his hand away, as if it had touched a hideous being, and let him fend for himself. Seeing as how everyone was ignoring him, he slipped through the cracks and escaped without a trace. 

The rest of the students were gathered near the entrance of the A/V Room, watching the conflict from a distance. Himiko and Angie were staying put for Tenko’s sake, surprised at the fact that she jumped ahead to help in the fight.

“Everything’s falling apart….” Himiko said, clutching her magician hat

“I didn’t know we could fight like that!” Angie said, as she looked at the ensuing conflict with curiosity “It makes our event pale in comparison, doesn’t it?”

Tenko shook her head as she looked at her straight in the eyes “N-No, don’t say that, Angie. If Himiko wants her magic show, then it’s going to happen!” 

Shuichi was lying on the ground, attempting to gather his bearings. Maki was actively defending him from her onslaught, but the fact that he was essentially a hostage did not allow her much space to act within the hallway. It restricted her movements significantly. 

_I have to get up...somehow!_

He hurried to grab his fallen hat from the floor, barely managing to avoid a direct strike from Kirumi, aimed at his left arm. Maki was forced to kick him aside, his precious item on hand. Shuichi stumbled on his feet as he tried to keep himself behind them. The combatants’ brawl had taken them to the Game Room, where Kirumi was losing her foothold on the situation. Shuichi was too shocked by their rapid movements to escape, watching from behind Maki. 

“If you wish for this to cease, then hand him over” Kirumi ordered her “That is all I ask of you” 

“As If I’d listen to someone like you” Maki reprimanded her with a tone as cold as a looming blizzard, before Shuichi himself could argue with her. It was difficult to get into the argument without provoking either of them. 

Tenko was infuriated by the idea of being helpless in the face of combat. Even if the ones fighting were more than strangers to her, it was still important to prove her own worth, if not for others, then for herself. 

“I can't just stand here, I have to do something!” Tenko pumped herself up again, ready for battle. She watched them move swiftly from one point to the other, waiting for a blind spot to open in Kirumi´s defense. 

Seeing that she had gained an unlikely ally, she grabbed Tenko and moved her aside along with her for a brief moment. Maki gave a signal by lightly rocking her head at her.

“Alright!” The aikido master took a second to understand it, but finally smiled back at her. 

She got as close to the maid as possible, and executed a professional aikido technique, Aikiotoshi, upon Kirumi´s legs, as she was preparing to slash against Maki´s abdomen “Hyah!” 

As a parallel maneuver, Maki successfully snatched the knife from Kirumi’s hands, with it sliding across the room. The maid’s look was one of horrified surprise as her legs gave in, and she was slammed against the wall, fainting in an instant.

Remaining unmoving, Tenko and Maki witnessed as Kirumi gave up her fight, with the conflict between the two finally over. 

Everyone reunited near the entrance, too shocked by this sudden turn of events to help either of them. Miu managed to lose interest in staying there, deciding to pursue K1-B0, wherever he had gone off to. 

Maki knelt down as she inspected Kirumi’s fallen body. “She’s unconscious. I doubt a strike like that would have killed her” 

Tenko was still standing in front of Himiko, who didn´t know what to think of all this. Angie was passing the time by invoking a prayer for Atua, its effects known to not one of them but her. 

“Ah, t-that’s good to hear—! For a second, I thought we were going to have a class trial..” Tenko gave a breath of relief, backing off from Maki as she kept examining the figure in front of her. 

“I didn’t think you were something like a forensic expert too, Maki” Kaito said, moving from within the crowd “That’s impressive!” He said, giving her a thumbs up and a smile.

Out of disgust and public embarrassment, Maki looked away from him, as an attempt to ignore him entirely. Once Kaito knelt down as well, however, she was forced to address him directly. 

Maki was annoyed by his general short-sightedness “You’re wasting your breath, like always”

“Let’s get this over with as fast as we can, alright?” Kaito proposed as he began to look for weapons inside of her maid outfit “This isn’t a proper investigation, but it’s not safe either—” 

“Stop it”

Maki batted Kaito’s hand away with force, due to his rather careless handling of Kirumi’s body. It wasn’t intentional in any capacity, but the latter was still surprised by her proactiveness. 

Kaede pinpointed the rest of them, who were distracted in their own chit-chat, towards Kirumi’s presence “Are we just leaving her like that?”

Tenko herself was getting anxious “Someone has to take her to her room, right? Maybe I’ll be the one doing it now”

Looking around for Maki and Kaito’s confirmation, both of them stood aside as  
she turned to Himiko for aid. Gaining confidence, Tenko realized the opportunity awaiting her. She held the maid’s body with her shoulder, and raised her hand toward Himiko.

“M-Me?” She was quite perplexed to see that her help, of all things, was being requested. She hesitated in her movements, simply watching as Tenko stumbled to get a hold of herself.

Angie looked at these events closely. Her cheery outlook forbade her from disagreeing, but there was a particular element to that situation that just didn’t sit right with her. Even so…

“Once you’re finished, head to the Gym right away. We need your help too!” Angie declared in excitement

With full support from Angie, Himiko proceeded to hold Kirumi by her other shoulder, and the two of them walked side by side to the Dorm Rooms. 

(........)

Shuichi needed to get away from the action in order to catch his breath. As his feet moved on its own, he suddenly found himself back in the A/V Room again, except he wasn't alone: Kaede Rantaro shared a similar idea in being there. The former was looking through some of the Motive Videos as the latter picked them up. 

“What are you doing?” Shuichi asked them, getting closer. 

“Giving them back” Rantaro said, gathering the Motive Videos into a pile like Kokichi had done “We didn’t get anything relevant out of them, as far as I know” He shuffled three devices from one hand to the other as he pondered what to do “Maybe you want to take one of them for yourself?”

Getting his own Motive Video didn't matter anymore, and if Kaede was there, it meant that she was looking for hers instead. She had mentioned that it was “important” to her somehow, but refused to explain why. Maybe this could be a good chance to talk it out?

Kaede was peering over Rantaro’s shoulder as he examined them, and looked back to speak with Shuichi “I was trying to look for it during the session, but everyone got close to the pile, so I couldn’t get a good look” 

Shuich pointed towards one of the Motive Videos, which had been untouched by Kaede “It's that one, I have a good idea of what's inside it”. Without asking, he grabbed it, contemplating whether he should turn it on. Once the intro began to play out, the name “Kaede Akamatsu” was enough to stun her, but she reacted fast enough to get him to shut it down. 

“Is this—? Is this my—-!” Kaede was surprised to hear such a claim. She stared at the Motive Video in Shuichi´s hand for a few seconds before immediately turning to face him personally . “There’s no time to waste, we need to see it!”

Noticing Rantaro´s presence, he didn't seem to mind being ignored, working at his own pace, but it was certainly uncomfortable “We don't have to see it together anymore, you two can go outside if you want”. Keeping to himself, rather than speaking to them, detached from the conversation, he shuffled the Motive Videos, as if lost in thought “We can’t let something like that happen again. I’ll pretend it didn’t happen now, but not tomorrow” 

Shuichi and Kaede looked at each other with curiosity. Rantaro didn't seem like the type to say things without knowing about them, so it was natural for him to tell them to be careful. Keeping watch for any possible eavesdropping students, Kaede and Shuichi walked out of the A/V Room and got further away in order to see it for themselves. 

Kaede was the one to turn it on this time, as she held it in her hands, which were shaking slightly from excitement. 

Monokuma appeared on screen, providing the necessary narration.  
“Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist….Held in high esteem by her family, it’s only natural that she would receive popular acclaim for her performances….”

“....Amongst them all, there was someone who admired her more than any other, want to guess?” Monokuma continued explaining the situation, as the background displayed Kaede in the middle of a concert, while hundreds of ordinary onlookers cheered her on. 

The screen’s background suddenly changed to that of another girl, whose physical appearance was almost identical to Kaede herself. The girl’s clothes marked a contrast, however, as she was much more casually dressed than Kaede was. 

It was quite difficult to discern just where exactly she was. It was comfy enough to look like a living room, but the atmosphere didn’t resonate the hopeful aura that came from the girl. Rather, it was filled with a rather vague stillness. 

“Hi! I’m so glad I get to be in the spotlight for once!” The girl pumped her hands in the air as she smiled at the camera “I can’t give up shining just because my sister’s in the spotlight, isn’t that right?”

As soon as that particular phrase ended, Kaede’s expression froze into place. 

“This isn’t right…..” Kaede said “Why do I not remember her…?” She scratched her head in hopes of getting out a hidden answer, but to no avail. 

“Our memories were taken away by Monokuma, it’s just like Rantaro said...” Shuichi said

“No, it’s not like that” Kaede said, looking firmly at him as she took a second to continue “A few days ago, you told me about your family. If you remember them, but I don’t, then there should be a reason for it” 

“I shouldn’t have treated him like that…” Kaede lamented “Now I look like an idiot for acting so recklessly….”

“Let’s go to my Research Lab. I want to talk” Kaede said, grabbing his arm and pulling him as she began to walk outside the hallway. Despite Shuichi’s protests, she didn’t cave in. 

“It’s close, so we won’t have much trouble” She looked behind him and seeked confirmation, only receiving an absent-minded stare in response. 

The journey there was quite nostalgic, even if he couldn’t pinpoint a reason for it. They travelled uninterrupted, as most of the others were busy enough handling the conflict as is. Finally, they looked around the area, seeing all of the trophies on display. Shuichi liked to think that they belonged to Kaede, but….. 

“Honestly, I don’t think leaving them by themselves would be a good idea” Shuichi said, reminiscing on his current tasks “And considering the events that are coming next….”

“We can worry about that when we get to it . It’s not like much has happened, anyway” Kaede expressed annoyance at his insistence on changing the subject. 

Whatever the result of the Insect Meet-And-Greet would be, he would not be there to witness it. It was a difficult choice, but perhaps trusting them to help each other could lend some benefits after all. 

Kaede approached the piano, showcased in her Research Lab, and simply looked at it. After a few seconds, Shuichi observed in anticipation as she quietly sat down and looked at the notes in front of her. Both of her hands were raised above the keys, and were lowered with a pace just as slow.

_Is she going to play it?_

An entire minute passed, and then half of it. Her sudden unresponsiveness was starting to unnerve him somewhat. “Are you worried about something, Kaede?” Shuichi asked as he got closer to her. 

“Maybe, playing the piano might not be such a good idea” Kaede said, as she lifted her hands from the piano. 

“I thought you wanted to play it. Isn’t that what you’ve wanted from the beginning?” Shuichi asked, puzzled by her train of thought

“Yes, I did. Before we came here, that is” Kaede lamented “But now, I’m…..I can’t really put it into words, it’s just not the same as back then” 

Kaede felt homesick, her expression obscured as she thought about those she had left behind, and couldn’t even recall. “If I play it now, it’d be like accepting that this is our new home…”

“It’s fine if you don’t want to do it” Shuichi comforted her “It’ll get to you otherwise” 

“I can’t argue against that” Kaede said, smiling at the way those words came out of Shuichi’s mouth “You sound more confident than before, did something happen?”

“Just like you, my Motive Video gave me many things to think about” Shuichi said “But it’s helped me deal with it in my own way”

“Really?! You’ve seen it?” Kaede was surprised to hear his declaration “You better tell me about it later, okay?”

Claire de Lune was a special piece for Kaede, and Shuichi knew it. He couldn’t force her to play it if she wasn’t in the mood for it, since all it would accomplish is to make her feel “submissive” to the Killing Game. 

(.......)

As Shuichi and Kaede were coming to terms with their new reality, a separate scene was unfolding in the dorm rooms. It was a quiet and stable feeling, but it did not resonate peace within its occupants. 

Kirumi was not sleeping peacefully, even within her own dreams. She was noticeably disturbed by her exhaustion, and dreaded the sight that would await her once she greeted reality. 

She opened her right eye to the familiar sight of her bedroom ceiling. She was lying down on her bed, her body covered by the bed sheets. Though the pain in her arm was considerable, it didn’t make her flinch. Her body raised itself lightly as she viewed her surroundings.

Himiko, as well as Tenko, were keeping watch over her. They stood near the entrance, however, in case that a getaway became necessary. 

The now-woken up Kirumi addressed her guests as she touched her head with her other, healthy arm “Where are they?” 

“Huh? T-Them?” Kirumi replied as she held back Himiko from getting closer. “I hope you don’t plan on starting something” 

“Dare I repeat myself?” Kirumi asked her in retaliation. Her tone was quite severe. “This situation will not resolve itself otherwise. I won’t allow it to” 

“How rude!” Tenko complained as she grit her teeth from the anger and clencher her hands “I thought only people like Kokichi acted like this, but you’re all the same!” 

Himiko had remained silent’ observing the events that were unfolding. However, her attitude prompted her to speakup “It would be bad if you three got into a fight again...Wouldn’t it interrupt our show?”

“You are a truly naive girl, Himiko” She checked her body for bruises as she berated her lack of confidence. It was amusing for her to see her acting so absent-mindedly “It would be easy to sabotage your show, after all” 

“Hey! Don’t speak to her like that!” Tenko immediately got in front of Kirumi, and they looked at each other face-to-face “Who are you to say that? You can’t even explain yourself!”

“I have no business to attend with you” Kirumi said “Follow my instructions, and both you and Himiko will be able to leave unscathed”

Tenko was becoming increasingly irritated by the maid’s lack of understanding, but the feeling was mutual. “Stop it with the threats, you—-!”

As she attempted to hold Kirumi by her shoulders as a confrontation tactic, Himiko herself was already heading for the door, which caused Tenko to look back in worry. 

“H-Hey! Wait for me, Himiko!” Tenko said, letting go of Kirumi and chasing after Himiko. 

The maid was left to her own devices as she laid down in her bed, waiting for the next set of students to arrive. Were those different circumstances, she would’ve attempted to conceal her motives. However, she recognized something important. 

Her time as a suspect in the Killing Game was over as soon as it started. Any possible avenues of escape were gone for good. She had been utterly, undeniably, inexplicably….

Defeated. There was no reason to seek conflict any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is meant to be the “second part” of last week’s chapter, but I decided to separate them instead, because there were so many things going on simultaneously. 
> 
> I felt like I needed to point this out sooner or later: English is in no way my first language, which is why there may ocassionally be some grammar mistakes (Hopefully never)
> 
> Just what is Kirumi’s grudge against Shuichi? Why are the students suffering from gaps in memory? How will this new information affect their relationships? It’s too early to tell. 
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


	20. Chapter 2: Loyal Advisor

It was only a matter of time until Kaede and Shuichi were contacted by Tenko. Their discussion in her Research Lab was unfortunately cut short by the latter, but there was no use in trying to set it aside. 

Tenko explained the situation to Shuichi, and Kaede understood it to a certain degree, but the idea that someone who had just previously tried to kill him now wanted to speak with him was an adrenaline-filled thought process. The girl herself seemed to have parted ways with Himiko as she went there, for whatever reason.

Kaede was thinking back to what had just occurred, still being in the process of understanding what had even happened. Everyone else was no different, which is why they refused to speak of it unless it became relevant to do so. 

“I wonder why she reacted like that….” Kaede pondered “It’s not like Kirumi to do something so reckless, and she’s been nice to us since we showed up here”

“That’s one way to put it” Tenko said as she walked alongside them “I just think she doesn’t know what her place is, being so rude to Himiko and all!” 

Shuichi tried to explain that Himiko was perhaps not as involved as she thought “Himiko wasn’t the only one, I’m sure Kokichi got a similar treatment as well” 

He’s kept to himself ever since the truth behind his lies was revealed….I suppose it’s not worth my time to think much of it, but….

“Kaito was right about him after all, right?” Kaede asked “He’s just a spoiled kid”

“Yeah! Kokichi was just lying about everything as usual” Tenko took her time to let out a smirk as she said so “You’re just wasting your time on that pathetic mouth-breather!” 

Shuichi wasn’t sure if he agreed with Tenko’s choice of words for an insult, but realized that stopping her was a futile effort. 

Finally, they reached the Dorm Rooms as they were completely engrossed in the conversation at hand. Shuichi and Kaede were worried that Tenko would somehow misunderstand the situation, and gave her a disapproving glance. 

“H-Hey! Don´t look at me! She was the one who called you here! I couldn't care less about you!” Tenko tried to explain herself away as she complained simultaneously. 

Kaede was disappointed in her lack of grace, despite the fact that she essentially saved his life. “Do you always talk like that, Tenko…..? I thought you'd have more sympathy for him”

_She's right….This entire day has felt like an eternity, but it's been less than two hours since *that* incident took place…._

“Hmph!” Tenko stammered in her feet as she refused to look in their direction “I can't believe you managed to screw things up this bad, and twice! How am I supposed to have Himiko continue the show like this!?” 

More than anything else, Shuichi was surprised to see that Tenko’s intervention into Angie’s group had happened naturally “You´re trying to be part of their crew, right, Tenko?” 

“That's private, you know?” As they finished walking across the hallway, Tenko´s face got closer to his own as she was angered by his questioning “You won't be much help to me anyway, so I´m gonna do it my own way!” 

As the three of them were discussing amongst themselves, Maki approached the Dorm Rooms with caution, watching behind her back in case of danger. She stepped carefully in front of them as she faced Kaede and Shuichi.

“So that’s what this was all about, huh?” Kaede asked her “I didn’t know you could fight like that...”

“Your technique has good synergy with my aikido moves!” Tenko said with amazement and a cocky attitude “Maybe you could show me how you pull them off?” 

Maki was unamused by their lack of subtlety as she shook her head in disagreement. There was a mutual sense of awkwardness shared between them when she simply said “...Whatever, it’s not like it matters” 

The trio looked at Tenko as if she didn't belong there. The girl herself wasn't very interested in speaking to the maid, since it ruined her mood. “I-I have things to do right now! I-I was just doing everyone a favor! That’s it!” 

With Tenko walking out of the room in embarrassment, all that was left to do was obvious to everyone present. The others were scattered around the academy grounds, so the area felt lonely, as always. 

Kaede looked around as she realized she was staying behind. Letting Maki go was not in her best interests, but she knew that Kirumi would refuse to speak if anyone else was there.  
“I'll be waiting for you outside. Don't stay there for too long, okay?” 

“Let’s go” Maki ordered Shuichi as she proceeded to open the door to Kirumi´s Dorm Room. 

Kaede tried to take a peek as the duo disappeared inside it. She waited for a single moment after the fact, only to quietly approach the entrance……..And pressed her ear against it. However, it was difficult to make out any proper details out of their talk. 

“Ugh….I can’t understand what they’re saying….”

(...........)

Kirumi´s bedroom was not unlike his own. There was an uncomfortable smell emanating from it, which Shuichi assumed was because it had been cleaned recently. 

The girl in question was waiting for them as she was lying down on her bed. Her expression was a very eerie mix of serenity and seriousness, as the bedsheets made way for her to raise her body and greet them properly. 

“Saihara, and Harukawa, too..” Kirumi addressed them with expectation “I have to admit, I assumed you would skip my meeting” 

“As a maid, you’d be better off standing up alongside us” Maki said

“Oh, but the circumstances are different now. You are in perfect health, and I am not…” Kirumi explained 

That wasn’t necessarily a lie, but it did sound like one, like a dishonest, lukewarm feeling of fleeting innocence. 

“You´re in no position to talk, as an attempted murderer” Maki said as directly as possible. 

“What about you, Harukawa?” Kirumi´s curiosity was piqued by her remark “The weapon which I held came from my own Research Lab. It would be hard to believe that you yourself are not acquaintanced with them, am I correct?”

“There is something you´re trying to hide from the others, just like I was” Her serene expression dropped as she became serious “However, do not pretend that I am merely speaking conjecture, I know what I know for good reason” 

“Explain yourself” Maki questioned her with great intensity, stomping her feet on the floor as a sign of annoyance “What is it that makes you follow me all over the place?”

“To put it simply, I suspected you from the start” Kirumi explained. “Only a fool like Kaito would allow you to roam as freely as you are, with secrets to keep” 

_If that´s true, then that does explain why Kirumi refused to act back when Ryoma died…..I see, it must´ve been because she plotted to pin it on her later on, which would get rid of her as a potential second killer._

“You must know that by now, Saihara...” Kirumi said “That she and I are not so different. Were you the one in her end of the knife, then perhaps this conversation would be going differently” 

“There’s still something you haven’t clarified just yet” Shuichi pointed out “Why did you single me out when you attacked me? You were having an issue with Kokichi at that point, right?”

“Correct, but that is not my reason for acting in such a way. It was only a means to an end, of course” Kirumi said “My goal was to lay a trap for Maki, you were never a variable, Saihara”

For less than a split second, Maki’s eyes seemed to widen as she finished her phrase. 

Thanks, I suppose...At least I know now that it was only a convenient out….

“But I don't understand…..What was in your Motive Video? Why did it make you resort to something like this….?” Shuichi continued to interrogate her 

“Even if you had somehow gotten your hands on it during our struggle, you wouldn´t comprehend it at all, would you?” Kirumi reasoned, as she adjusted her position to face them directly. “Because the difference between me and all of you is a sense of duty” 

“Huh? What are you trying to say?” Shuichi asked. She had mentioned something to that effect while fighting, but it came off as a mere ramble than a real speech. 

She noticed their determined expressions, and changed her course of action accordingly. “Before we continue, I must re-introduce myself. That would be for the best” Kirumi said, clearing her throat in order for her voice to come out as intended. 

“I am the current Prime Minister of our nation, Japan. It is my duty to protect my citizens to the fullest extent possible” Kirumi declared openly. Her tone was much more formal and assertive this time, like that of a politician. 

Maki crossed her arms and closed her eyes, not being convinced in the least. However, Shuichi’s mouth was agape as the missing pieces began to fall into place.

“P-Prime Minister?!” Shuichi said in complete exasperation. “Is that why you were speaking so strangely before?!”

“If you’re telling the truth, then your motive is completely ridiculous, honestly” Maki said with a condescending tone. 

“Make of that what you will, I do not lose sleep over your opinions of me” Kirumi said

Shuichi was burdened with curiosity as thoughts of what he’d seen in the Flashback Light were remembered by him. “But wait! Does that mean you also remember something about the outside world?” 

“Even after knowing my real identity, my memories are somewhat foggy, unfortunately” Kirumi lamented to herself “Japan….If only I knew what happened to it…” She lowered her gaze into her bedsheets, most likely to avoid them face to face. Such an action caused her to look at her arm with expectation, which Shuichi definitely took notice of. 

“Your arm..It’s not broken, is it?” Shuichi asked, but he already knew that the answer was obvious. It was simply an attempt to change the topic. 

“That Chabashira…” Kirumi said, while looking at Maki “I thought you were my greatest foe, but it seems I was incorrect in my assumptions...Her technique is rather direct, I must say….”

“Now then, I have something to request of you, if that is not an issue” Kirumi said

“I’m not sure what you want me to say” Shuichi’s hands started to tense up “But alright, I’ll listen”

“Very well, that is a good enough response” Kirumi tightened up her shoulders “I assume thay you are wary of the killing game, are you not? For that purpose, I’ve been pondering that same idea myself, and became convinced that you and I could work together”

“Don’t waste your time on her, I won’t save you again” Maki threatened him. 

“Indeed, Harukawa’s feats of strength are unparalleled, even against someone of my caliber” Kirumi said “However, it would be best for me to be under your protection instead”

“And why would I agree to that? Didn’t you try to attack me just now?” Shuichi asked her

“Think about it for a moment” Kirumi said, as she let out a breath of annoyance “If my reading of your actions is correct, you must be confident in preventing the debut of the killing game. Unfortunately, I am not an exception when it comes to possible attackers, and neither is Maki”

Kirumi stopped glaring at Maki and looked at Shuichi firmly “If we take everyone into consideration, among those who could become victims to the killing game, there are not many. Our objective, or rather, your goal, would be to prevent any possible casualties from occurring, yes?”

Shuichi nodded in agreement. 

“In that case, my request is as follows: For the time being, and only until everyone’s nerves have eased…..please lend yourself to become my bodyguard” 

“So you want me to protect you? Even after all that?” Shuichi asked in genuine surprise 

“You’re only trying to keep him close as a potential victim, I know what you’re trying to do” Maki condemned her

“As you can see, I am currently incapacitated” Kirumi gestured at her injured arm and broken bone “My duties are not those of a maid at the moment, but those of the Prime Minister”

“You’re not making any sense” Maki said

“We’ll keep going in circles, all around….” Kirumi said to herself “...Because your situation is the same for Kaito, is it not?”

In that instant, Maki’s teeth clenched hard enough to have broken, were they to be in someone else’s mouth. Her expression was one of hellish fury and anger as she looked at her fiercely. Kirumi averted her gaze in silence, until the assassin had enough of it. 

Clenching her fists, she opened the door and made it slam against the wall, startling an eavesdropping Kaede, who was trying to hear what they were talking about in there. 

“But why me? Why not someone like Gonta or Kaito?” He asked Kirumi

“They would never agree to it” Kirumi said, “It is not in their character to do so, naturally…..In addition, I would be in your debt, as I’m sure our goals align somewhat”

Shuichi’s thoughts were drifting into several different places at once, considering contrasting positions and scenarios. It was to be expected of a detective to think this much, but it still had a toll on his mind. 

_If I agree to it, that would mean that my hands would be tied according to her needs. But If I refuse, then it’s likely that she remains an enemy….._

Shuichi looked back at Kirumi, having made up his mind after thinking about it further. It was going to be a difficult path, as with any other, but if she managed to trust him, then that was one less threat to worry about. 

“I….I accept your deal, Kirumi” Shuichi announced to her “...But I won’t help you until I’m sure we’re on the other side of this issue” 

Kirumi tended to her own bedsheets as she arranged them. The message he gave was clear, and there was no need to clarify further. “I have no objections, do as you please” 

Shuichi left the room, with Kaede following behind him. Kirumi finally stood up from her bed, and tended to her injuries. She looked upwards as she reminisced to the times that have yet to pass in her mind.

“My only wish….Is for all of you to live freely. That is all I desire” Kirumi said to herself 

(..........)

Beyond the Dorm Rooms, in the third floor of the academy, a disastrous situation was unfolding due to a certain magician’s mysterious absence. The insides of Himiko’s Research lab reeked of pure, concentrated chaos, as Tenko entered the room in a flash.

Since Angie and Himiko were rearranging some of the props on the scene, due to Shuichi’s absence, her sudden entrance took them by complete surprise. 

“Himiko!” 

“I-I finally found you....!” She was surprised enough by her presence to stop in her tracks. Himiko stared in confusion as the other girl stood up and faced her head on. 

“Why did you....go away.... just like that....?” Tenko said between breaths, trying to recover from her own exhaustion. “I thought we were going to help each other?”

Angie remained silent. She had a dim smile on her face, and her eyes were closed with a serene grace. In other words, Angie was ignoring her entirely. 

“What do I have to do? What else do I have to do to join the show?” Tenko asked them “I’ll do it, just tell me...I need to know!” 

“Nyeeeh, I don´t know what you´re talking about” Himiko said “Angie said that we were doing the show anyway”

“That's right!” Angie confirmed it “If we don´t, everyone is going to feel anxious about the killing game won't they?” She clasped her hands in happiness “It's a good way to boost morale”

“You still haven't answered…!” Tenko said in anticipation 

Once again, Himiko looked at Angie, but their reactions were mirrored: The artist stared at Tenko with disapproval, as her violent outburst would´t look good on the show. However, Himiko shook her head as she thought about it further. 

“Kirumi´s right about the show, but….” Himiko said, pondering a possible solution “I think we could use a bodyguard...I mean, in case there's any murders…..” 

Tenko´s eyes lit up and she smiled with a happy smile drawn on her face as she realized that Himiko did need her help “I´ll do it! I´ll make sure nothing happens during the show! You can trust me when it comes to fighting off violent brutes!”. Though she said it with the same tone of voice, her mannerisms suggested that she was quite happy with this outcome. 

“All the positions are filled for the day” Angie said eerily “I don´t think there's anyone left” 

Her assertion confused Himiko, since it didn’t come from a place of good faith. 

“Angie….” Himiko said to herself, just loud enough for both of them to hear “....Why are you lying?” 

Both Tenko and Angie reacted in surprise to this, as they didn't expect her to pick up on it. Though she didn´t stop smiling, it seems Angie was much more careful in her language. 

“That wasn't a lie, Himiko” Angie explained with her usual tone “I chose Shuichi to be your assistant because he's simple and kind, and there's no one else here who can fill that spot

Tenko did not like Angie at all. That was a fact. She saw her as a bad influence on Himiko, due to her crazy ideas. However, there was the need to focus on the latter, of course. 

“Himiko...Did Shuichi tell you that he didn't want to join the show anymore?” Tenko asked her as gently as she could. 

“Yeah…And after only one practice session, too…..” Himiko lamented 

Tenko pumped herself up as she came to a conclusion “Okay! I´ve made up my mind! Me and Angie are going to be your assistants! Think about it, we´ll be able to finish the show properly that way!” She was complete overcome by excitement. 

”But….Having said that….” Tenko realized that her past mistakes had hurt her relationship with Himiko and Angie, and sought to make amends instead, in order to make a positive impression on them. 

She closed her eyes and bowed her head in shame as the duo looked at her with a curious gaze. “....I´m sorry...About what I did...I didn't mean it...”

Angie was focused on rearranging the props for the show, though she was still listening. “The show is starting tomorrow, so we need to prepare. Do you know what you´re going to do?” 

“Of course I do! Actually, I have the perfect idea for it!” Tenko said as she approached the set that Himiko had set up “Can you show me how your trick works, please?” 

Shuichi may have been absent from the proceedings, but that didn't mean that the show couldn´t be underway in a different manner. With him in the middle of his conversation with Kirumi, and them working their hardest to make the show a success, the day moved from morning to evening…..

(..........)

Kirumi’s proposal hung on the back of Shuichi’s head even after they stopped talking about it. Even if one of them tried to bring it up, the conversation would rather shift towards another, adjacent topic. 

Kaede yawned, feeling drowsy from today’s exercises, and all they had to absorb at a time. To her, it was more than shocking for Shuichi to brush it off as if it was a normal occurrence. 

“We should probably sleep for the night” Kaede said as they looked around the area “Tomorrow, we’ll know what everyone else was up to”

Shuichi shook his head “No, there’s someone else I need to see right now”

His phrasing was more than literal. In a sense, simply acknowledging them with his own eyes was more than enough, there was no need for idle conversation. 

Just as Shuichi was wondering if maybe, just maybe, he had been careless in his decision to leave them alone….

Three figures, those belonging to Tsumugi, Ryoma and K1-B0, were walking towards them. 

A relieving breeze blew through Shuichi’s body, like a comfortable wind. The nervous-and-serious expression imprinted on him was wiped away, and an awkward smile was replaced with it. 

Kaede had no way to understand why he was suddenly smiling so much, but there was no need to explain. If there was happiness to be shared, it was better to simply let it manifest, let it exist in the world. 

“How was the event, Ryoma?” Kaede asked him as he walked closer to them. 

“Wasn’t half-bad, I suppose..” Ryoma responded in embarrassment. “You didn’t miss anything by not being there, though”

“I humbly disagree” K1-B0 objected with a confident expression “Yes, it was a simple meeting, but I thought it was a nice gesture from you, Ryoma”

“It’s nothing, really” Ryoma said

“Likewise, I’m glad the event went well...” Tsumugi said “You were looking forward to it since yesterday, right?”

Ryoma’s expression and demeanor was solemn, as he reminisced on the past “During my days in prison, we didn’t get to share these kinds of moments together. If it was up to me, I’d have it another way, but this is fine, too….”

“P-P-Prison?!” Kaede didn’t think he’d go as far as to bring it up so casually, but forced herself to correct her phrasing “Don’t think like that, Ryoma. Everyone of us is going to be friends here, that’s a promise”

“Do you plan on doing anything else?” Shuichi asked as he was brought back to reality. He needed to know if they were going outside again, for any particular reason. 

Ryoma thought it was an odd thing to ask, but he answered regardless “We finished early for the day, so there not much else to look forward to—-“ 

The sound of footsteps echoed across the room at a rapid pace. It gave the impression that they were being chased by someone, which alerted Tsumugi. 

“That’s——-“

“A———-“

“LIE!” Tenko loudly announced to him as she too entered the Dorm Rooms unannounced. “I can’t believe you’re speaking that way about Himiko’s show! Have more respect, won’t you?!”

“T-Tenko, you’re back already?” Shuichi asked in surprise

“Of course I am! We have an important announcement to make, anyway!” Tenko said, putting up a battle stance. This time, however, it seemed to be for show. 

Tenko stood next to Angie and Himiko as they proudly announced their new project. 

“Himiko’s Magic show will be starting tomorrow! Yaaay!!” Angie exclaimed, raising her hands in the air “Aren’t you excited?” 

“No one’s allowed to stay behind! It’s going to be the best show you’ve ever seen!” Tenko said

Himiko tugged her hat, as if holding something inside it “It’ll be done without a rehearsal, so no one can know about my new magic trick”

_They came up with a new trick while I was gone? That’s impressive…._

“I thought you were studying to be a magician, not a magical witch...” Tsumugi said “...Maybe we misunderstood what this academy was supposed to teach us?”

Inside Shuchi’s mind, he was completely ecstatic by the sight he was exposed to. The conversation that was unfolding blurred into the background as he began to think about his own circumstances. 

_Did I really—-Did I really make it? No, no, that’s not right. It’s better to say that *we* made it, all of us. No matter how much we fight among ourselves, I’ll never give up in trying._

Memories of times long past resurfaced like a dam that had just been broken. He had suffered and succeeded alongside them all this time, and even if they had no recollection of it, he cherished every single moment he spent with them. He couldn´t let them down, not before they found out what exactly was happening to them, not until everyone was able to make it out in one piece. 

If the next day was to be followed with grief that was just as strong, and just as despair-inducing, then he was ready to face it. 

_No matter what!_

(...........)

What became of the Ultimate Supreme Leader, unlike everyone else? His plans had been thrown off-course by this sudden development, all in all. The attention had drifted off of him entirely, and landed on people like Maki and Kirumi. 

Since everyone was still alive, labeling certain students as suspicious became increasingly harder. Monokuma was missing, as far as he was concerned, and the Monokubs were not a useful source of information. 

Fortunately, there was one person he could always hope to get some entertainment out of, in their new, boring world. He was patiently waiting for her next to her Research Lab, after all. 

“That was a surpriiiising display, Maki! Even I was impressed, y’know?” 

She tried to push him out of the way to the door, but he kept putting himself in between the two of them, like a pest. 

“Ohhh, scary….” Kokichi said in a provoking, child-like tone. His mannerisms resembled that of one as well, as if mocking them “....If you think about it, you must see me as an annoying kid, right? Didn’t you *adore* kids? What happened to that?”

“Shut your mouth” Maki scolded him for prying into private manner, but he didn’t react in fear. Rather, he was getting more and more excited as her anger grew. “What do you want?”

“Well, I was thinking…” Kokichi said, prolonging the inevitable “... Maybe we could partner up! You saw my video earlier, and you can think of it as my job application! The ruler of DICE and the feisty, unyielding girl who——!“

The girl’s hand reached out for Kokichi’s throat and held him forcefully against the wall he was previously lying comfortably on. He didn’t seem to mind as much, though. 

“....Is a serial killer. Or maybe an assassin? It’s hard to tell….” As he continued speaking, no different from Shuichi, her grip tightened. He was lucky that she only grabbed his jacket, and not his throat. “....You’re giving off all kinds of red flags...and your outfit doesn’t help, anyway...”

“How do you know that? I don’t remember sharing this to anyone” Maki bluffed as he questioned Kokichi 

“So it was true, huh?” Kokichi smiled to himself as Maki grew a look of concern. “I. Got. Youuuu!”

She let go of him as he stumbled to his feet. Without waiting for him to get up, she took that opportunity to enter her Research Lab herself, shutting the door behind her.

“Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you” Kokichi said playfully “Even if you lock it, I can find a way to open that door eventually. It’s just a matter of time, y’know?”

He let out a sigh accompanied with a warm smirk. It was difficult to intimidate Maki without resorting to underhanded tactics. If anything else, she was an interesting wild card to keep track of. 

In spite of her defiant attitude, she was definitely holding back against him, he could feel it. His footsteps resonated against the floor, but not in a way that could be heard by anyone. 

The Ultimate Supreme Leader’s empire was collapsing, but what could come out of it? Hope? Despair? Perhaps insurmountable terror? Even he did not know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For every arc, there is always one particular chapter I’m always dying to get to, and this is probably it. Especially because the deal has some....interesting, implications, to put it simply. 
> 
> I’m genuinely happy to see that so many of you appreciate this story! I’d be interested to know where you think this is going, it’s had me curious for a while.
> 
> Thanks For Reading!
> 
> Small update: Next chapter is most likely not going to be uploaded on Wednesday, since it just so happens that I’m about to enter exam week. That doesn’t mean that I stopped writing it altogether, though, I just don’t have time to edit until next week. 
> 
> If it takes a bit longer than usual to show up, that’s the reason


	21. The Amazing Himiko

There was...certainly a lot to think about. Shuichi could never hope to deny that fact. His daily routine required him to think faster than he could process what was happening, to the point where, sometimes, there was no way for him to know why he made the choices he did. 

Accepting Kirumi’s request came from a place of personal desperation, haunted by his nightmarish memories of a determined maid. Rather than being anxious about the girl herself, however, he was in grave need to see the bitter end of the killing game. If not later, then at least, for these few moments. 

Monokuma’s Morning Announcement brought him back to earth, as he noticed that he was subconsciously grasping Kaito’s Motive Video again with his hands. Upon realizing so, he let go of it by accident, embarrassed by his ideas. 

I can’t rely too much on these, it’s done something to me, whatever it is….

He got up from his bed and tripped from shame onto his butt. His instincts had not changed in the slightest.

No matter how much time had passed, Monokuma didn't bother giving them a new set of clothes. As he stared at his wardrobe, he wondered what he’d look like if he wasn’t a detective. This wasn't the appropriate situation to be worried about style, though. 

No, that wasn't it. 

Shuichi knew that the others viewed him as a reserved, shy detective, and while that was true in the past, he no longer identified with such claims. As tiring and exhausting as these days had been, they had taught him a lot about survival. And how could he even hope to help anyone, if he couldn't even help himself? 

Yes, that was something he agreed with. There was no doubt in his mind that everyone needed him. Perhaps not as a mere, average schoolboy, but as the person he knew they wanted him to be. 

The detective grasped his black hat and took it off his head. 

(..............)

Both of them were the only ones present in the Dining Hall, to their surprise. Perhaps they were too early for anyone to have gotten up yet, or somehow, a meeting had been held without them?

“Ryoma?” Shuichi asked, “How long have you been standing here?”

“Just a few minutes. Not enough to matter, anyway” Ryoma said 

Since he’s here, I suppose it would be for the best if I brought it up now, rather than later…. 

“Is it okay if I asked you something personal?” Shuichi asked him 

“I´m not the type to keep my personal life open, but it seems I didn´t exactly hide it either, huh?” Ryoma was carefully considering his question 

“N-No, it's not like that…” Shuichi said “I wanted to know why you and Gonta are so close” 

“Does it seem that way?” Ryoma asked “I see it more as if Gonta was close to me than the other way around. If we´re in a place that resembles a prison, then it would be as if I and Gonta are cellmates” 

“I´d like to believe that this Academy is nicer than that..” Shuichi lamented that Ryoma was also getting flashbacks to things he did not wish to be reminded of. 

Then again, the “Ultimate Academy For Gifted Juveniles” and “Prison” were not as different in theory as Monokuma would have them believe. Hidden away from society for a perceived crime, living a day-to-day life at a high-security location, violence among inmates due to the sheer terror and atmosphere provided from the “Wardens”......

Shuichi gulped as he began to see their capture in a different light. 

Maybe it wasn't simply chance that all of them were brought here, and with missing memories? Monokuma had not hesitated in the slightest to execute them all after they failed to find the culprit behind a murder, but was there any way to disprove the fact that it wasn´t his intention all along? That's the purpose of an inmate on death row, after all, to be sentenced to death for their crimes. But what crimes? What kinds of terrible memories awaited him on the outside?

Just what was the purpose behind such a dystopian punishment, anyway?

“You're staring off into space...” Ryoma said “It's hard not to notice” 

Shuichi stared at him in embarrassment. It was bad enough that he was barely keeping it together, even now. “R-Really? S-Sorry about that….It wasn’t something worth discussing”

“For as long as we’re stuck here, Monokuma’s just going to mess with us, huh?” Ryoma said to himself

The sounds of frantic footsteps were heard in the Dining Hall. Shuichi readied himself for the oncoming impact, but the result was quite different than he’d thought. 

“Shuichi! You took off your hat?” 

Kaito greeted Shuichi as he too walked into the Dining Hall. His usual bright demeanor meant a serious contrast between their somber outlooks. 

“A-Ah, yes...It’s nothing much, I just wanted to take it off once in a while” Shuichi said

“You were absent yesterday since the fight, Kaito,” Ryoma said, “What were you up to?”

“Ah, I was thinking of something in the Courtyard,” Kaito said dismissively “You don't have to worry about that though! I'm more worried about everyone, anyways, with the ´ambush´ and all…”

Eventually, everyone else gathered up in the Dining Hall. It was quite an awkward experience, as Kirumi herself was still absent. 

“Honestly, your hat was just getting in the way. Isn’t it uncomfortable to wear sometimes?” Kaede asked as he patted his head, looking for space where his hat would be. 

“N-No, as I said, it’s nothing, really….” Shuichi said in embarrassment.

“Huh? Where is Kirumi? Will she be absent from our arrangement?” Angie asked

Shuichi had to explain that she was still resting in her Dorm Room. 

“Speaking of that….Where did Maki learn to do all those maneuvers? It was impressive” Tsumugi said 

Their attention shifted to the girl in question, who had the intention of keeping her privacy. Now on the forefront, it was impossible to hide among the crowd. 

“This is a killing game. I’d rather defend myself than be the one who needs protection” Maki said 

“Kirumi can’t lay a hand on us in the state she’s in, she’d just get injured again” Tenko reassured them

Kokichi intervened with a teasing attitude “Oh, you’d like to beat her up again, don’t you?” 

“Sh-Shut up!” Tenko said, “That was just so she’d stop getting in the way!” 

“Tenko aside, why don’t we discuss yesterday in more depth?” Kokichi asked. The others, however, didn’t know what he was trying to mention at all. “Hello? Earth to everyone? Did you all forget the Motive Videos we saw only yesterday?” 

“I appreciate your concern, but I shall refrain from elaborating. It is a matter of personal privacy, you see…” Korekiyo said 

“Is there anyone who does want to bring it up? K1-B0 asked, “Kiyo is right in that it’s something personal to each one of us, but….”

Kokichi snapped his fingers, calling everyone’s attention back towards him. 

“Maki is the Ultimate Assassin, y’know?” Kokichi said, completely derailing the conversation. His expression was sinister, one that showed nothing but mischief and bad faith. 

Though Shuichi became instantly alarmed by his declaration, what surprised him more was the fact that everyone else seemed to take it in stride. Maki was about to attack Kokichi for a split second, he could tell but restrained herself at the last moment. 

“Ah, that’s a shame,” Tsumugi said to Maki “If only I had a way to command you, I’d be your Master…”

“Like those who run around taking down bad guys?” Tenko asked, impressed “I knew your skill didn’t come from nowhere!”

Maki, Shuichi, and Kokichi all reacted with uncomfortable surprise as their expectations did not match reality at all. It seems as though Maki did create a good impression on them, and thus their response to her behavior was taken lightly. 

“To top it off, she is possibly a criminal on the run! Isn’t that just impressive?” Kokichi asked

“That’s a nice joke, Kokichi” Kaito played it off sarcastically “I’d love to hear them later, but not now, of course” 

Their attitude was as dismissive as it was, Shuichi reasoned, because Kokichi’s lies had synergized perfectly with their lack of knowledge about Maki’s condition. To them, she was just a girl who knew how to fight. 

“Hey, hey! Monokuma said “I see you’re all getting along perfectly! It’s almost making me cry from joy!”

“Your appearance is truly convenient as always. Is it not, Monokuma?” Korekiyo asked. Five spots that originally surrounded him were now empty. The Monokubs were nowhere to be seen, as he thought. “Do tell, why are you here before us without backup?”

“Awww! It warms my heart to see that I have secret admirers!” Monokuma said, but instantly bowed down and apologized “If you want to know, there’s no reason. They just left me like the bastard children that they are” 

“There is nothing about you that I ‘adore’. Rather, I find your semblance pitiful as can be” Korekiyo responded 

“No one’s going to miss you when you’re gone, Monokuma. Just leave us alone” Kaito said 

“Come oooon! Let him talk! I’m sure he’s got plenty of entertaining stories to tell us!” Kokichi said playfully 

“I don’t have a story, but I can share a fun fact about the Monokubs” Monokuma said, lowering his voice to a whisper “Don’t let them know I told you this, though. They think they’re the only siblings I have”

“Y-You have more children?!” Tsumugi asked in surprise 

“Plenty of them!” Monokuma said “But the one I treasure most is one that’s very shy. In particular, he hides around this academy and lies in wait for a careful detective to find him. He’s the sixth Monokub, but doesn’t have a name per se...” 

The bear’s incessant rambling was starting to piss Tenko off to astronomical levels. It was one thing to say something important, but to waste precious time that could be spent somewhere else? Now that was unforgivable. 

“I’ve had enough of this!” Tenko yelled out as Monokuma kept ignoring her “That’s it! We’re going to the gym right now!”

She grabbed Angie and Himiko’s hands and started to make her way outside of the Dining Hall. Despite the girls’ protests, they lost the physical struggle against her. 

“Gonta thinks he’s heard of that before…” Gonta said as he scratched his chin “Could it have something to do with Courtyard?” 

As he was posing that question to himself, he was too late in noticing that everyone had already left, so he ran at a hurried pace to catch up to them. 

(...........)

Just like Shuichi had seen previously, the Gym had received a spectacular redesign. The Water Tank was now on the podium, with another, much smaller one directly above it. Interestingly enough, there was also a timer, which marked 00:00 in seconds. Several banners displayed the words “Himiko’s Brand New Magic Show!” in bolded letters.

Shuichi didn’t have to guess that Tenko had something to do with all that, probably. 

“Where did you get all these parts from, Miu?” Shuichi asked her

“Huh? They’re from my Research Lab. Where else would I get them?” Miu asked 

“Everything else was lent by Kirumi and me….Too bad she’s not here to see it, though…” Himiko lamented 

The door to the Gym made a creaking sound as another visitor entered the room. Their entrance was enough to render their chipper chit-chat into sudden silence, as well as bring all of their attention to them. 

It was Kirumi. She had arrived at the Gym quietly but did not mind their stares. 

“....I see your enthusiasm truly has no bounds, as I suspected,” Kirumi said, as she entered the Gym. 

Out of everyone, Rantaro was off-put by their quietness, so he decided to engage her. 

“Welcome back, Kirumi” Rantaro said, waving at her “We won’t disturb you for the day if you’ll do the same, that’s how it works”

Kirumi bowed her head and replied with “I do not mind” as she walked over to the side, watching the others from afar. She was lonely in this location, unfortunately, as Maki was now standing alongside the others as part of the audience. 

It was quite difficult for them to avert their eyes from her. But it was Angie who brought them back to reality, as she stood next to the water tank as an announcer. Himiko climbed the stairs, located backstage, to stand on top of it. As she did so, Tenko stood opposite Angie as they presented the show together. 

“Thank you, Atua, for being with us today—” Angie said, but was cut-off by a nervous Tenko, who kept looking at the crowd instead. “T-Thank you, everyone!”

Ignoring her, Angie continued “Nyahahaha! I present to you the mysterious, the miraculous——“ She was also interrupted by Tenko this time around, and they both proceeded to speak “The Amazing Himiko!”

“Are they really going to be speaking over each other?” K1-B0 wondered aloud. 

Himiko explained the Underwater Escape Act to the audience as her nerves began to manifest themselves in her body. Angie motioned for them to stare at the water tank, and explained the functionality of the timer. As she gathered their attention, Tenko took that opportunity to slip out of their eyesight by hiding behind the curtains. 

Shuichi’s own body tensed up as soon as the words “Piranhas” and “Devoured” were mentioned. By this point, he did not wish to see anyone suffer under any circumstance, so he had no choice but to take Angie’s words at face value, even if to her, they were just a joke. 

With the procedure for the magic trick out of the way, Himiko proceeded to start the timer and get in the water. The sixty seconds started, and they were all watching patiently. 

Shuichi’s vision went from closely watching Kirumi to staring at the water tank in wait. 

“It’s been twenty seconds now….” Kaede noted, “Is she really going to handle this?” 

Gonta himself was beginning to get worried, a feeling that only served to further unease Shuichi. 

“Thirty seconds now! It’s about time she came out of there, right?” Kaito asked 

Indeed, time was running out. As if they were synchronized, Gonta and Shuichi acted in unison. 

“Gonta can’t just stand here, Himiko is in danger!” He announced and rushed to her aid. 

No! I can’t let this happen again! We’ve all worked so hard to get to this point! To fail now would be…..!

As soon as Shuichi and Gonta rushed over to the podium, they were afraid that something terrible had happened to Himiko, especially given how she had originally described the concept to him. The idea of a terrible fate befalling the magician could only be described as——

Angie drew the curtains as a new, far more impressive sight had appeared in the water tank. 

Instead of Himiko, she had been replaced by Tenko, who was now inside of the water tank herself. Struggling to see in the water, she gave the crowd a thumbs-up as she proceeded to raise her head out of the water. 

At the same time, Himiko walked out from backstage and greeted Shuichi and Gonta completely unharmed. The detective, who had undergone so much stress as to believe otherwise, exhaled a long breath of relief that he had suppressed during the entirety of that minute. 

“Well? What did you think of Himiko’s……” Himiko said, but soon noticed their distressed expressions “Nyeh?”

“It’s over! The show was a success! Thanks to Atua for making this performance possible!” Angie said 

Tenko, pissed off by her dismissiveness of their hard work, protested in anger “H-Hey! We all worked hard on it! At least acknowledge our presence!” 

Angie smiled at her instead, and all Tenko could do was put up an awkward smile as the three of them held hands and bowed before the crowd. 

It wasn’t until a few moments later that the atmosphere would change for the worst, one way or another…..

“I'm furious! Angered! Completely enraged!” Monokuma said as he appeared from behind the Water Tank, standing next to Angie, Himiko and Tenko 

“What are you up to now, Monokuma?” Kaede asked 

“Quiet! Any more talking and I´ll die from sheer second-hand embarrassment!” Monokuma said as he approached the crowd of students 

“Listen! You brats have been more than lazy these few days, so don't think for a second that I´m going easy on you! I took a small vacation, but that´s as much of a break you´re getting from me! “ Monokuma said “But…..Despite my anger…” Monokuma bowed down in shame, as he continued speaking “...I must say, you've managed to please me, too. That's right! Your stupid antics managed to save your sorry butts!” 

Is he….Is he really going to say it?

“Congratulations! One way or another, and after stumbling around with no end in sight, you idiots managed to earn yourselves a prize!” Monokuma said 

“I-In other words, will you be leaving us alone?” Tsumugi said 

**RISE AND SHINE URSINE!**

Monokid spoke up “Of course not! From here on out, your lives are going to be H-E-L-L!”

“You’ll be so dead, living might not be so bad after all!” Monosuke added 

Monophanie started to shiver “Just thinking about it...It’s making me feel…” She held her hands to her mouth with an upset expression. 

“EVERYONE-WILL-BECOME-FRIENDS-WITH-ONE-ANOTHER-,TOGETHER” Monodam said 

“If not together, they’ll survive on their own. It’s just how it works and all” Monotaro said 

Monokuma stood in front of the podium with glee in his eyes “The Killing Game is perfect! Flawless! There’s no way you fools will put me on the spot! These are simple, temporary measures until we find out just what can drive you to the deepest depths of despair! Yes! Once you’re shown just how scary the Killing Game can be, maybe, just maybe…You’ll reconsider defying my suggestions to commit murder, hopefully,” 

“That’s the way to say it daddy!” Monophanie said, impressed “Thank you, all of you, for helping with my stomach cramps!” 

“Oh, that’s right…” Monotaro said “You’re still not over that, are you?”

Monokuma’s fury was starting to show, as he raised his paws from the frustration alone. 

“My little Monokubs....” Monokuma said, as he slowly approached them “Not once in my speech did I mention that you could interrupt me!! This isn’t just an embarrassment, it’s an absolute disaster! You’re making us look like silly bears!” 

“Ahhh! We’ll have to flee!” Monosuke said, as he ran away from the podium, with the others following behind him. 

**SO LONG, BEAR WELL!**

“Alright everyone! It’s the Questions and Answers Segment! You have the chance to get the answer you wish to three questions! Not more!” Monokuma announced.

“Three...questions?” Maki asked 

“Yup! You’ll get the answer you desire, so open your hearts!” Monokuma said “That’s down to two!”

“Wait, how could—“ ‘that count as a question?’ Was what Kaito was going to ask himself, but realized it would just waste time “—This is ridiculous!” 

“If we want answers from Monokuma, then let’s start with him, alright?” Kaede asked 

No major objections were given. She had everyone’s support, after all. With that said, she continued with her question. “What is this all about? Are there people who actually know about our situation?” 

Monokuma grinned to himself as he took but a single moment to respond “What you saw is precisely what you get. None of the footage was doctored in any way, so their emotional anguish was completely genuine” 

He raised his paws in excitement “Anyway! That’s another question down! You have one more and that’s all for today! C’mon! Open up your mind and ask with confidence!” 

Shuichi thought long and hard about what to say, but his ideas were completely inconsistent. Between his thoughts, however, he could hear the sound of footsteps approaching him. 

Kirumi got closer to his ear as he whispered something to him, which made him feel uneasy. Kaede and Kaito were already getting on the defensive, but she backed away before they could worry about it. 

Was that really the right thing to ask? There’s still other questions I have…..

“Monokuma….” Shuichi said “What is the current state of the outside world?” 

“Upupupu....” Monokuma said “What a useless question! Not only are you getting nothing out of it, you’re only confusing yourself further by wondering about it!”

Shuichi and the others reacted in shock at his sudden, violent response

“Because the answer to that question is simple: The world has moved on and experienced ‘Hope’ simply from your disappearance! It’s not a place that would accept any of you here, you stupid rejects!” 

R-Rejects….?!

“To tell the truth, I was planning on giving you all more context, but if you want to spend your time wandering aimlessly and doing nothing, that’s on you to do! I’ll be in the corner watching all of you lose your minds over it, anyway!” 

And with that, he was gone. 

“Was….Was that it…?” Kaede asked in surprise from Monokuma’s threatening speech

“Seems like it. I don’t know what we did right this time, but he wasn’t excited about it, as always” K1-B0 said 

Unlike last time, I’m getting a bad feeling about this. It doesn’t feel unexpected. Rather, it’s like he was anticipating that we would solve it eventually. 

None of them had time to process what Monokuma had just responded, nor why he was doing the things he does. None of them knew anything. None of them knew how to do anything.

It was all pointless, wasn’t it? They’d be stuck there for the rest of their lives, earning pointless rewards and moving up on meaningless floors—-

“There’s still something we have to do. And I owe it to Gonta, if anything else” Ryoma interrupted 

Everyone’s attention turned to him, so he kept going with his speech. “Let’s focus on escaping this academy again. I can’t bear to be in a place that reminds me of who I was…”

Rantaro decided to respond, since everyone was quiet again “I want to end the killing game as much as everyone else here, but we need to think clearly. Shuichi proved that the tunnel was a death trap, so that’s one exit we’re not taking. Understood?” 

“Then what other choice do we have?” Ryoma asked him “If we have options, it’s better to follow through on them” 

“There’s still time to think of an answer. Let’s take our time to relax, and then we’ll keep going. I don’t want to hear any objections to that” Rantaro said 

Ryoma was silent as he pondered how to respond to Rantaro’s argument “For someone who’s suddenly taking charge, you’ve been quiet lately” 

Rantaro made a quiet “tch” sound as he backed down from the clearly upset Ryoma. He didn’t get why he was stubborn on his constant mood, and not just simply accept that things were starting to look up for them. 

Shuichi looked back at Kirumi as he realized just how much their relationship had changed from the last time this happened. Back then, she’d been worried about him, but now, it’s like she was ruling over him with an iron fist, and as much as he wanted to protest, doing so would cause him much more problems than he was willing to handle……

Himiko’s Magic Show was done for the day, and everyone decided to heed Rantaro’s advice, heading back to their rooms rather than argue any further. 

**Chapter 2: Our Reason For Being: END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You’re probably wondering if this is the actual ending of chapter 2, and the answer is yes and no. There’s another chapter (as in, an individual chapter) missing after this one, which acts as an Epilogue. Once that’s done, we’ll finally be in Chapter 3 territory (Am I excited to start posting it? You have no idea) 
> 
> I also apologize for missing my schedule the previous chapter. It’s going to shake the upload dates up a bit, but it won’t last long. Once again, I thank you for your patience, especially those who’ve been reading this since the very beginning. That said, if you’re a first-timer lurking through the chapters, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story! I’ve got great plans for it! 
> 
> Thanks For Reading, Everyone!


	22. Chapter 2 Epilogue: The Unmasking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obviously, takes place after the last chapter, but contains a small flashback to a scene that happened in this loop.

As far as Shuichi was concerned, the killing game had come to an end. It wasn’t usual for Monokuma to just leave them be after so many threats, but there was another aspect to it that was bothering him more than anything else.

As the killing game developed, the contrast between their experiences and Shuichi’s was starting to show. Even Kirumi’s attempt at his life only managed to change their perspectives from “complete safety” to “mutual protection”. They had gained Maki as an unlikely ally, for the best or worst of it. 

Himiko’s Magic Show had ended abruptly, and suddenly, Shuichi realized just how quickly things had passed. That was true for all of them. Unfortunately for him, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy the last of his free time, as Kirumi had caught him right where she wanted him. 

Tomorrow, his schedule would change significantly, but for now, there was time to hang out with the people he wanted to. 

Although, if it were up to him, he wished that they had told him that they were coming in advance. 

”I-I don’t really mind spending time in my room, but……” Shuichi said

He looked at his two surprise visitors, Kaede and Kaito, who were gathered right in front of him, together. The former was resting her head on a chair, while Kaito was stretching his arms. 

“...Why are you two here?” He asked them

“Isn’t it obvious? We’re having a strategic meeting here and now! In your room, no less!” Kaito announced 

“Is it really necessary to call it that?” Kaede asked, “I thought we were just talking….”

“Forget that,” Shuichi said, “Where’s Maki?” 

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about her, she’s just being shy as always, but...” Kaito reassured him as he sat down on the floor. “Can you believe her? She kept mentioning how those Motive Videos were ‘a waste of her time’, but she was worried sick about it, wasn’t she?”

“Maki’s a jerk,” Kaede said “And I still don’t get why you two are friends, to begin with. Do you have a thing for assassins?” 

“Friends are friends!” Kaito protested, though he almost choked on his own words “Besides, I just want to help her open up. There’s nothing wrong with that…”

Having said that, Kaito’s eyes lit up as he raised his head, having a sudden epiphany. He grabbed the nearest Motive Video he had on hand and showed it to Shuichi.

“Let’s see each other’s Motive Videos,” Kaito said suddenly, “I know everyone said it was private, but I want to know if my gramps is okay or not. I don’t doubt that Monokuma’s taking these away just like with the Monopads….” 

As she heard that, Kaede let out a repressed chuckle “G-gramps? Is that your grandfather?” 

“Yeah, yeah. That’s what I call him, anyway” Kaito said 

“Before we do that…” Shuichi said, dismissing Kaede’s comment “Are you two okay with this?” 

They both nodded, and the private viewing session began between the three of them.

The first one to be displayed was Kaede’s, as Shuichi himself had already seen it. Kaito, however, was surprised to know that she did have a sister after all. 

“I didn’t know you had siblings” Kaito said, “You never brought them up, huh?”

“Well, I didn’t know about it either...” Kaede scratched her head 

Her appearance was very similar to Kaede herself, so there was no questioning that they were related in some way. 

“Do you think....” Kaede said “Maybe I don’t remember her because she’s actually the mastermind?”

Shuichi was taken aback by her suggestion. For such a simple character to be the mastermind....It was a contrast in what appeared to be the attitude of a decent person. 

“Sh-Shuichi, I was just joking about that. There’s no way my sister can be the Mastermind anyway. It’d have to be someone we know” Kaede said 

“I’ll believe that none of us are” Kaito said, dismissing her claim “Our fight is against Monokuma, not with each other....”

There was a sudden silence between the three as Kaede’s Motive Video didn’t seem to be as average as they initially thought. Kaito wasn’t having any of it, though. 

He turned to Shuichi “Alright! Who’s going next now? You, or me?”

“I’m more interested in what your Motive Video has than the one I have” Shuichi said  
“Oh, that did make me think…..” Kaito was pondering something in his head, and finally answered “Shuichi, did you see it?”

“Y-Yeah, more than once…” Shuichi said in embarrassment 

“That’s okay, I don’t mind,” Kaito said “I just wanted to hear it straight from you” 

The second one to play was naturally Kaito’s. Shuichi had the temptation to see it again, but averted his eyes from it, a behavior pattern which Kaito thought was strange but didn’t mind. 

Upon seeing his grandparents again, Kaito quieted down and stared in silence. Unlike Shuichi and Kaede, his relationship to them was much deeper than they knew. 

“I never asked this, but…..” Shuichi said “Were you living with your grandparents?”

“I wasn’t living with them, they were the ones living with me” Kaito said 

“A-Ah, I see…” Shuichi said

Intruding on Kaito’s private life was something he deeply regretted. There was no taking it back, but some moderation in his approach could help mend their relationship. 

Kaito stared at the motive video as it repeated the showing of his grandparents “I won’t let you down, gramps. We’ll be seeing each other again, got it?” 

Seeing him be in such a sentimental state was awkward for Shuichi, and he suddenly felt sorry for witholding it from him all those times. 

Finishing his viewing, Kaito’s eyes lit up again, and he smiled at them “You’re the last one, Shuichi. Don’t keep us waiting, though! I’ve been holding onto it ever since we came here!”

Kaito gave him his Motive Video back, which only caused him more nerves. It was bad enough that he got to see his family again, being reminded of those moments where their situation was much worse than now. Watching it alongside his friends was a different experience entirely.

If anything, he did owe it to Kaito, since he watched his Motive Video so many times already. 

Shuichi’s Motive Video began to play, and Kaito and Kaede instantly tried to learn as much as possible from it. He was bombarded with comments like “You were living abroad too?”, “I didn’t know you were also a private detective….”, and finally “Whoa, your parents are handsome!”

Once the Motive Video finished, Shuichi snatched it away in embarrassment “I’m not comfortable with it, I’m sorry…”

“It’s alright, Shuichi” Kaede said “We’ll help each other remember what happened to them, okay?” 

Shuichi nodded. It was the least he could do, since his actions had been so inconsiderate. As they were discussing their Motive Videos among themselves, however….

Someone rang the doorbell, causing Kaito to stand up “Hold on, I’ll answer the door” 

“Ah, that must be Maki. Maybe she did come here after all?” Shuichi asked Kaito

Kaito shook his head “I told him to come here from the start...What took him so long?” 

_H-Him…?_

The astronaut opened the door to reveal the sight of someone they didn’t expect Kaito to acknowledge. 

They entered with a smirk, waving at both Shuichi and Kaede, as they laid down on the bed, their arms resting on their head. 

It was Kokichi Ouma himself. It goes without saying that anyone else would’ve made for a better candidate. 

“W-What’s he doing here?” Kaede asked 

Kaito’s smile turned into a proud smirk as he motioned towards him “From now on, we’re establishing two things!” He put up a finger, signaling that first addition, and continued “To begin with, our team needs to have a name! That’s how we cooperate!”

“W-Wait, we’re part of a team now?” Kaede asked. The more Kaito spoke, the more confused she was. It was a relief that Shuichi already knew about it in advance. 

“I’ve decided to call it “Kaito’s Space Crew”. Why? Because we’re going to space! I’m taking all of you on a spaceship as soon as we kick Monokuma’s ass and escape this place!” Kaito announces 

“‘Kaito’s Space Crew’? Is that the best you came up with in two weeks?” The guest asked. 

“Y-You’re going a little too fast! Let me process this first, okay?” Kaede said

Kokichi whistled as he mocked Kaede’s confusion, while Shuichi was more concerned of the fact that he didn’t tell him anything about this. 

“And here’s our newest member! Let’s all do our best to make that dream come true!” Kaito said 

Shuichi thought back to these past two days, and suddenly, a certain behavior pattern that Kaito started to develop suddenly made sense.

_Before this point, he was quite aggressive to Kokichi...He got his Motive Video afterwards, and decided to work with him…._

Still, the idea of Kokichi working alongside the one who had punched him in a previous life was all kinds of confusing. 

“By the way, since Monokuma is taking our Motive Videos away....” Kokichi said “Let’s rile everyone up as much as we can!”

“I say we try out that Casino place” Kaito suggested “I’ve always wanted to play one of those. You three owe me one!”

Kokichi shook his head “But then all three of us would have alibis if you killed someone. Unless I’m underestimating how dumb you are, Kaito”

“S-Stupid?!” Kaito said “I’m clearly older and taller than you! That has to count for something! And what was that about a murder?!”

“Older...Taller...And yet you’re still sooo clueless...I wonder what that says about you, hm?” Kokichi mocked him

The two of them began to argue among each other incomprehensibly, leaving Kaede and Shuichi to stare at them in confusion. They sighed as a result, being unable to stop their squabbling. 

And so, they formally allowed Kokichi closer into their friend group. He didn’t seem to do it in bad faith, and was genuine in his attempts to simply play around. Perhaps he wasn’t **always** lying. 

(..............)

Tsumugi was resting from the insanity that were the days in the academy. For a plain girl like her, it was to be expected that events like those would drain her energy rather quickly, since they required her full attention. It was rather tiring. 

No one had noticed that she was resting, but it’s not like she cared. 

_Ah…...I need more friends to spend time with…._

There were some leftover meals from before Kirumi went rouge, so that’s what she ate as a midnight snack. She wasn’t used to eating much, for stress or anything else. 

_Should I go eat something outside? Actually, I’ll just stay here..._

Tsumugi had been completely ignored by them ever since Monokuma announced that they had just won another “prize”. It was only natural that they would be focused on it, since it's part of his grand “killing game”, but claiming that she didn't feel rejected in the slightest would be a lie. 

_Heh, even my own thoughts are average...Maybe I could think of something the others are thinking of as well?_

She closed her eyes and reminisced to the events of two days ago, and was suddenly flung into the depths of her own fantasy, completely lost in thought. 

—————————-

The inauguration of the Insect Meet and Greet event was at its climax. Tsumugi had shown up out of her own accord, since she couldn't get any meaningful information out of anyone else. They were all so...mysterious...What's with them and keeping every little secret to themselves? 

“Umm….What kind of bug is this, Gonta?” Tsumugi asked as she poked one of the insects inside of a green cage. 

“Ah, don´t get close to that bug! It's dangerous!” Gonta said in a panic as he rushed to shield the bug away from Tsumugi´s hands 

“A-Ah, s-sorry Gonta!” Tsumugi said “I didn't mean to scare you…”

“This bug is called “ **Dermestid”**! Bug´s name is in that book over there” He pointed at an open encyclopedia in the middle of the room, and showed her the picture. 

K1-B0 hit his head, as if trying to make something stick inside of it. “Dermestid is not a common name for an insect, I don't have anything like that in my inner records..” 

“Hmm? So you do possess some form of advanced intellect, don´t you?” Korekiyo asked 

“It's more like a voice” K1-B0 said “It tells me where to go, if I´m doing something right or wrong...Honestly, it's hard to describe unless you hear it” 

“I may be plain and average, but that makes me proud of the fact that I don't have allergies to insects....” Tsumugi said 

The dermestid was taken aside so that it would be unable to harm the other students. Tsumugi was not well-versed in entomology, but she trusted Gonta´s natural instincts. 

_If it's dangerous, I´ll just stay away from it._

Out of the other participants, Ryoma was the only one who merely watched everyone else interact with one another. 

“Hey, Ryoma…” Tsumugi said “This was your idea, right? Is there anything else we´re going to do?” 

“I know! We could invite Rantaro here as well, don’t you think?” Tsumugi asked him “That way, we can get to know him better!”

“I tried to, but he didn’t listen,” Ryoma said in disappointment. “He was stuck with those videos…”

“That’s a shame,” Tsumugi said, “I have a feeling you and him would be good friends….”

The Meet-And-Greet Event consisted of a simple showcase of insects. Though she didn’t mention it, Tsumugi was slightly disappointed by the fact that it went by so smoothly. There was no helping it, though, Kokichi wasn’t there to mess up their show, anyhow.

—————————

She yawned from drowsiness as she went back to reality, and realized that her arms and legs were sore from her lack of exercise. Of course, Tsumugi’s biggest fear, of them all, would be for the others to find out that she embraced her inner shut-in self. 

_Well, maybe exploring the academy could be good practice, I suppose….._

Wondering what to do in her position, her mind began to race. 

_Am I still a shut-in if I start to exercise? Maybe I could just work on another cosplay instead….._

But the fact that she needed to leave her room wasn’t out of entertainment, it was something she needed to do. Her well-being depended on it, after all. 

(.............)

Kirumi remained in her Research Lab, sitting down on the dining table, as she sipped a cup of tea. Even for a maid of her caliber, not stretching her muscles had certainly caused her to become much more laid-back than usual. She could not permit herself to rest any longer than she needed to. 

Her actions were now oriented towards her people, not her classmates, so her usual routine of cleaning their clothes and preparing the food was only for practice. At nighttime, the dim lighting made it difficult to enjoy a meal, but it’s not like she had a choice. 

She laid her eyes on the slow but careful movements of a small creature, who was attempting to make as little noise as possible as they left the scene. 

Kirumi set down the cup on the table and spoke out to him “May I humor you with some tea, Monotaro?” 

His presence uncovered, Monotaro freaked out from the mere mention of his name. “Aaaagh! It’s the scary maid! She got me!” 

_Scary…..? ___

__The red robot tried to hurry away from there but happened to drop food crumbs on the way. Knowing her opinions on cleanliness, he stared nervously at Kirumi as she stood up from the table to greet him._ _

__Monotaro’s scandal revealed another Monokub, Monokid, who was also hiding under the table. He panicked upon being discovered, and the two of them ran back where they came from._ _

__Kirumi sighed as she prepared herself to clean their mess. The last thing she wanted was to be annoyed at a time like this. It was uncommon for her to have time to herself, and Shuichi was taking his fair share of time making his mind about joining her or not._ _

___It’s not an important matter….. **Tomorrow** is the day we arranged, after all…. ____ _

____(.............)_ _ _ _

____Inside of his Dorm Room, Rantaro kept the Flashback Light close to him. Keeping it away from the others proved to be a success, and Shuichi stayed quiet about its contents, so he was able to rest easy for now._ _ _ _

_____Even so, there’s still **this** ….. ____ _ _ _

______He looked at a white sheet of paper stuck to the wall. Its contents were the words “Horse a” and nothing else. Rantaro had found it while hunting for evidence that could instigate the Killing Game in some way. He figured that Monokuma had sent out the Motive Videos to everyone as a direct response to this, however._ _ _ _ _ _

_______I can’t keep carrying it around with me forever. That note has to go, there’s no other choice. ____ _ _ _ _ _

________Keeping to himself had enabled him to search for a proper place to dispose of it. It was a fortunate omen that no one had decided to keep track of his actions. Their hands were busy as is by handling both Maki and Kokichi, after all._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________I can’t lower my guard now, especially not now that I know that Monokuma’s hiding something from me. If everyone’s motives are fabricated, then who knows just how dangerous they could be in reality…… ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He knew just where exactly he could take care of this “problem”, but wasn’t sure if it was a necessity. It was also likely that the note held no meaning in particular and was just a memento._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________**Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!** _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The device next to Rantaro, as he sat down next to it, began to give off a beeping sound repeatedly. An event like this had never occurred before. Not to him, at least._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________His eyes were peeled on the screen as it started to load a message over a black background._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Installing Update: **System Upgrade** ”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Those words sent a chill down Rantaro’s spine. His eyes widened as he read the message with his own two eyes. Immediately, he pondered his next course of action but soon concluded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________If they gave me this….thing, and it’s about to receive new information, then someone must already be in **that place**! ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________As soon as he could, Rantaro left the Dorm Rooms and hurried towards the first floor. It was midnight, but there was still time. Perhaps it was the lucky break that he needed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________With each step he took, his breathing quickened at a faster and faster pace._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________It’s about time now...I’m going to end it, this killing game! ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________As he left his room and crossed the hallway, he bumped into someone rather unexpected. Both of them fell on the floor as the other person grasped their head from the pain._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Are you alright?” Rantaro asked them, offering his hand. It was then that they saw who that person was, and confusion set even further._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Tsumugi?” Rantaro asked “What are you doing here? It’s nighttime already”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The girl was trying to gather her bearings as she adjusted her glasses and dusted off her clothes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Ah, I think I got a little too ahead of myself….. Angie was waiting for me, and I thought she was walking too slowly, but….” Tsumugi said_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Wait a moment. You were walking around here just now?” Rantaro asked. His suspicions were still there. The person he was looking for could be anyone, even her, and he couldn’t just forget what he saw._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“N-No, I was returning from the A/V Room with Angie” Tsumugi said “She was going to visit Himiko and Tenko since they were there, and she saw me while I was out exercising, so….We went there together”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Rantaro was not convinced by her answer “If you were with Angie, where is she?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“There you are Tsumugi! Where did you go off too?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________At that moment, a girl called out to Tsumugi from the other side of the hallway, and approached them happily. It was Angie, indeed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________So she was telling the truth after all? Then what was that about…..?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Sorry, Angie…” Tsumugi said “I’m not used to walking around so much. it’s only when I get to meet my favorite voice actors, otherwise, I lose my energy so quickly…..”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“That’s okay!” Angie said “It was getting late for us, and we need to rest up for tomorrow, right?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Angie pulled Tsumugi back alongside her as they left the hallway from where they came from. Rantaro was left so dumbstruck that he forgot why he was even there to begin with._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He put a palm to his face as his head began to hurt from all that thinking. Even his own search had been sabotaged somehow, he had a feeling. Once those two were gone, Rantaro kept walking towards his destination._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________The library was devoid of anyone’s presence. He kept looking around to see if someone was eavesdropping on his actions, but no such culprit was in sight._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________That clears things up. It means this place is deserted, so it’s safe to go inside after all._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He approached the other end of the library at a slow pace, not wanting to disturb it too much, and took out the device he had hidden from the girls. It was scanned by this same device, and granted entry._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Rantaro opened the door to the **Mastermind’s Lair** , as Shuichi had called it, and stared in awe at the open passageway. He took one step, then another, and finally made his way inside, closing the door behind him. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Because to expose the Mastermind, it is necessary to explore the darkest corners of this academy, even if one is to regret it sometime in the future…..._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s crazy to see how much this story has grown since I first started it. I genuinely didn’t think so many people would like it (I think it’s rather niche) But I’m glad I’ve been able to provide a decent story to you all, if nothing else :)
> 
> I say that, because I’m planning to go on a small hiatus after releasing this chapter. I haven’t stopped writing since I started it (Yes, since the Prologue) and it’s also a chance for me to go over what’s going to happen next. Maybe Re:Zero’s second cour could also give me a new perspective on everything. Who knows?
> 
> That said, the tentative release date for Chapter 3 will be up soon, and you’ll be able to see it in the summary. 
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


	23. Chapter 3: Golden Hammer, Ninja Scroll, Magic Key

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who thought that this story was somehow discontinued: You can rest easy. The main reason for my hiatus was to take a small break and build up my backlog, so hopefully there won’t be any more delays for the time being. 
> 
> Well then, I’ve been looking forward to continuing posting these for a while now, so come along!

**Chapter 3: Confessions From Beyond The Grave**

An entire day. 

Twenty four hours had passed since the most tense period of his life so far. Every second of it was traversed over and over, like a broken clock that wouldn’t stop, yet it was finally over.   
Shuichi Saihara was hesitant to start the day to begin with. Sure, he was able to stop the killing game from setting in once again, but it came at the cost of one very important thing…

Kirumi Tojō.

There was no point in acting like he had things to do. No, if she were to find out that he somehow managed to evade her, she’d immediately begin her plan, as he had once seen. This was only temporary, and he knew that. 

After Kaito, Kokichi and Kaede had left him to his own devices, he rested up for the night and made sure to wake up early. Trying to match the daily routine of a maid was exhausting, but what could you do?

It was only natural that she’d be in the same place that he used to confront her in. The lights were dimly lit to reflect the coming of morning, and just as expected, the dining table was arranged already.

It just so happened that the maid was waiting for him by sitting down and eating a meal she prepared herself, taking small and careful bites from it. Her eyes aimed closely at his frame, she stopped chewing and faced him. Upon seeing him, she ordered him to sit down. 

He took a seat in one of the chairs opposite to Kirumi, and the two of them stared at each other in silence. Shuichi cleared his throat to engage her in conversation and break the ice. 

“Ah, you’re eating now, I see…” He grabbed a fork out of instinct, reading the mood as if she had invited him to eat. 

“Truly. Indeed. That is what I am doing at the moment. Is there an issue?” Kirumi raised an eyebrow at his awkward behavior:

Deciding to abandon that topic, Shuichi tried to pass off his actions as something planned “I thought maybe we could get to know each other more, since I’d be working for you…”

“Well? What is it that you must know about someone like me?” Kirumi asked. They kept eating as the conversation progressed.

“Back then, you mentioned something about Japan, right? What do you think about it?” Shuichi asked her. 

There was an important reason for him to ask that. Kirumi, being a Prime Minister, could very well relay relevant intel about the outside world, even if it was very possible that it was currently in ruins. If she knew even a small bit of information that they could use to make their getaway, then he needed to know. 

“Currently, all of us are unaware of what the situation on their end could be..” Kirumi noted, referring to Monokuma’s comment “However, I believe in their ability to survive in these harsh circumstances. I wouldn’t be so motivated to help them otherwise.”

“Do you know someone in the outside world that could help us?” Shuichi waited with impatience as she continued to speak. 

“All of my contacts are gone, I very much doubt that Monokuma would let us call them for help. Not to mention, my authority as a Prime Minister would certainly be diminished.”

“Then do you think I’m ‘motivated’, too?” Shuichi asked. He was trying to gleam his reason for her personal interest in him. 

“Do not misunderstand. I do not doubt your capability to help me, but the tasks that I perform daily are not something an ordinary citizen could manage to complete.” She added

The combined intensity of honesty and passive-aggressiveness in her analysis prompted him to stop eating. The food no longer tasted as well as it did before, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. 

“What do I have to do, Kirumi?” Shuichi asked her as he tried to eat. “I’m not sure about it.”

“You seem excited to cooperate with me” Kirumi said “That is certainly reassuring.”

“I don’t plan to do this forever. There’s still things I have to do by myself”

_Not to mention all the people I’m missing to catch up with, like Maki…._

“That is an interesting suggestion….” Kirumi said as she pondered a possible response “It would be best to remain together until we’ve neutralized Monokuma’s threats.” 

“I thought you were worried about the Killing Game?” Shuichi noted 

“That is true…” Kirumi said “However, we cannot allow ourselves to act immediately. Given the pattern of our actions, surely one of his so-called ‘Motives’ will be announced soon enough.”

_That’s true, just like the Motive Videos, but those were designed in a different way to the timer and the First Blood Perk..._

“Speaking of that, why didn’t you just tell us about your identity? We could’ve helped you in some way.”

“I’m afraid that is an impossible task.” Kirumi lamented “Unless there was a way for us to communicate with the outside world, I cannot lower my guard completely.” 

Being the bodyguard of a recent murder suspect did have its downsides. For one, he couldn’t dismiss the possibility that someone else could try to get rid of them, not understanding why he was doing this in the first place. Then, there was the matter of Kirumi’s broken arm, which did not seem to have recovered much these past few days. 

“H-How is your….You know….” He pointed at Kirumi’s arm, which she was no longer clutching. 

Kirumi heeded his remark “I’ve received enough rest for it to recover on its own. There’s no need to concern yourself with it.”

From under the table, Monokuma’s figure sprang and got between the two, startling Shuichi but causing no noticeable reaction in Kirumi. He stood atop the table with a triumphant figure, as though he had completed a grand accomplishment. 

“I see you’re starting the day off with a grand new murder plan! Am I wrong?” Monokuma said 

“Whatever is your business with us?” Kirumi asked 

At her inquiry, Monokuma started to blush deeply, causing Shuichi to get confused. He was holding something behind his back, as he noticed, and put it in front of him. 

“This is your first prize!” Monokuma said, showing off a golden key with a heart-shaped symbol on it. Shuichi’s careful hands approached the key as he pondered whether to take it or leave it alone. “Come on! You were not made to be a shy detective!”

Embarrassed, Shuichi took it for himself, much more so by Monokuma’s words than what that key implied for him. Kirumi’s look was one of slight disgust as she saw him pocket the love key. 

“And what exactly is its purpose?” Kirumi asked Monokuma.

“That’s for that dork to use and for you to find out!” Monokuma said, leaving her with more questions than answers. 

Now that he mentions it, I do remember seeing some sort of building being in construction before this point….

“Do not forget our arrangement.” Kirumi reminded him “There is still much we have to do today.”

To her comment, Shuichi tried to go to the laundry room in order to wash some of the clothes there, but Kirumi put her left arm in front of him, blocking the way. 

“You are my bodyguard, not my replacement.” Kirumi said “I will handle these tasks. Meanwhile, all you have to do is follow my lead. I trust you will do as I say, am I correct?” 

——- 

Just like she said, Shuichi was now following Kirumi’s various requests. Because he couldn’t do anything except to wait for her outside of the Academy, he began to reminisce about how everything started, all of it. 

I don’t have any leads on who the mastermind could be….Even if I were to pick out someone from among the group, there was still the chance that they could prove me wrong…..

This was the eight reset he had accumulated since he was aware of it. It was hard to forget or lose track of the amount, since all those experiences were carefully imprinted in his mind. 

Everyone had died so many times that he expected the mastermind to be one of the coincidental survivors, and yet there were various moments in which even they had perished. Would they give up everything, even their own life, just to keep the killing game exciting? For who? 

Soon enough, Kirumi walked out of her Research Lab, so Shuichi accompanied her as they traversed the academy again. She decided that they should listen to Ryoma and look for that “escape route”. 

“But we don’t know what’s on the other side of it, maybe something dangerous?” Shuichi asked, trying to dissuade her. There was definitely a terrible fate awaiting anyone stupid enough to traverse through it “But even then, it´d be a safer option to the alternative..” 

“Commiting murder is only a last resort measure, in my case. I do not benefit from senseless killing, after all.” 

“Is that why you wanted to speak with Ryoma? As a last-resort?” 

Kirumi was slightly lost by his questioning “I have no business to attend to with Ryoma. Our meeting concerns everyone.” 

Shuichi didn’t know whether to take that as a positive or negative remark. Her sincerity indicated that she truly did not have a reason to talk with him, yet it seemed strange for him to be the only one who knew about that hypothetical scenario. 

The second time they unlocked a floor, Tsumugi had mentioned that Kaede was the one who was given the “keys” by Monokuma. Of all people, he thought maybe Rantaro would be the one to take them, as he had done so with the Flashback Light, but then again, there were certain things he couldn’t stop. 

It was up to Kaede to receive them again, as he thought. The Monokubs had spoken to her previously, and she was now arriving with some strange objects in her hands...

A Golden Hammer, a Ninja Scroll, and a Magic Key….That’s what it looks like...

The girl saw that Kirumi was being followed by Shuichi and stopped dead in her tracks. She blinked her eyes twice as she processed what was going on. 

“You’re….” Kaede took a moment to continue, examining them “You’re working together?” 

Kirumi addressed her as she kept walking, merely saying “That is correct'' and going on her way. Shuichi followed her once more, but not before looking back at Kaede with nervousness, trying to reassure her. 

“Wait, just tell me something, Kirumi.” Kaede told her as she was backing away “You’re not trying to use him as bait, are you?”

“Bait…?” Shuichi asked

“If that was the case, you would not be speaking to Saihara at present.” Kirumi said 

A perplexed Kaede was left dangling the items delivered by the Monokubs as Kirumi and Shuichi continued on the way to their destination. 

——

Finally in the Courtyard, Shuichi and Kirumi saw that it was quite deserted. Angie, Himiko and Tsumugi were probably putting their props away, while Miu was working on K1-B0. 

As Rantaro and Ryoma had mentioned, their discussion continued near the entrance to the tunnel, their so-called escape route. Gonta was accompanying them as he had done before, sealing the entrance. 

“We didn’t.” Ryoma lamented “The path is longer than we thought….We had to turn back halfway through.” 

“We encountered a large gap, it was too dangerous to continue...” Gonta shook his head, in disagreement with his incompetence . 

Shuichi forced himself to put a brave face in front of Kirumi. This conversation was painful to his conscience, a reminder of his failure, but it was something he needed to put behind him. 

“Besides that, I always knew that the tunnel was the wrong choice from the start.” Rantaro said

“Elaborate.” Kirumi said, pointing at Rantaro “Just what do you mean by that?”

“Well, it’s true that I did slightly consider that idea before the killing game was delayed, but Kaede’s outburst convinced me that we would never cross that tunnel anyway” Rantaro said 

“Did Kaede give up on everyone?” Gonta asked in response

“No, I’m sure he was only doing that because the Mastermind forced her hand.” Ryoma said 

“But that would require prior knowledge of their scheme in the library, am I correct?” Kirumi asked them

“N-Not necessarily,” Shuichi said, trying to change the topic somehow “If the Mastermind happened to arrive there by accident, it could also be true.”

“Going wherever the Mastermind runs off...That’s the easiest way to get killed, isn’t it?” Rantaro asked

Suddenly, with a turn of phrase, the conversation had taken on a gloomy and eerie atmosphere. It was enough to unnerve Shuichi somewhat. 

“Hm? Should I stop that?” Rantaro asked as he noticed that Shuichi was starting to get upset. His face told the story. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset anyone…”

His gaze changed from right to left as he looked at Kirumi next. “Unfortunately, we can’t continue this conversation. Let’s not forget what happened just a few days ago, after all. I know I’m giving you a chance to redeem yourself, but don’t overestimate your value as a Prime Minister, Kirumi” 

Kirumi closed her eyes and Rantaro refused to drop his look on her. Gonta was understandably confused by their reaction as Ryoma looked behind him. 

Someone was approaching them, of course. 

“Good morning!” Kokichi said as he trotted happily to them “I see you’re all getting along as always!”

“Isn’t that what Monokuma said?” Gonta asked as he remembered the events of the previous day. 

“That’s because I’m not just Kokichi Ouma, I’m also Monokuma in the flesh!” Kokichi mocked his question “I mean, who else to have plans as evil as mine, y’know?”

“That’s ridiculous.” Rantaro and Kirumi said in unison, as a strange moment of synchronized thoughts between them. Afterwards, the former continued “What do you want?”

“I’m so glad you’re the one who asked!” Kokichi gave the most fake and imitated laugh he could muster as he grinned at him “We’ve found another one of your so-called Flashback Lights, of course!”

—-  
.   
An urgent meeting was called in the Dining Hall, as Kaede had been the one who found the Flashback Light, not Kokichi as they originally were led to believe. 

The last time such a device had been activated, it led to the reveal of a world of contradictions, truths and lies unfolding before their eyes. In other words, the Ultimate Hunt had ravaged the world beyond a shadow of a doubt, and this was their hiding place.

No one else, other than Rantaro and himself, was aware of this fact, which is why their curiosity as to the contents of the Flashback Light was only natural. After all, this would be their very first time seeing its contents. 

Tsumugi examined the device closely as Kaede held it in her arms “Is this the same Flashback Light from earlier?” 

“No, this one is different somehow,” Kaede held the device closer to herself while looking at it from the side “I’m not sure why...It’s giving me a different feeling from before..”

“But where did you find it? Did Monokuma just place them wherever?” Kaito asked her 

“Let’s not ask too many questions, okay?” Kaede proposed, while handling the machine in her hands. She realized that everyone was present, and began the preparations “I don’t want to hear any complaints, and I’m turning it on right now.”

She analyzed her surroundings as the odd-one out of all, Rantaro, voiced his imminent displeasure. 

“Kaede, you don’t know what you’re doing, do you?” He crossed his arms while speaking, his expression turning into a frown. 

“We won’t know if we don’t try. It’s better to see it for ourselves, anyway.” She was quite furious at his several attempts to shoot down her options. At her stubbornness, Rantaro simply let her continue, though he let his displeasure show. 

“I won’t stop you if that’s what you want, just leave me out of this——“ 

Everything was filled with a bright, white light, emanating from the center of the Dining Hall. Its vibrant colors translated not as mere hues, but as distinct shapes and images. Every single student present found themselves absorbing new information and data like sponges, to the point that their brains couldn’t handle the process properly. 

What they saw was a funeral in the middle of its procedure. Sixteen portraits placed side to side, with flowers as decorations. Ordinary people discussed this tragic incident, them being victims of the ‘Ultimate Hunt’ spoken about by Rantaro and experienced properly by Shuichi. 

In short, the Flashback Light was turned on. Shuichi was uneased by Kaede’s insistence for them to do so. But he found himself unable to stop her. Kirumi was also curious about its contents, and repeating the events of yesterday was the last thing he wanted to do. 

But in truth, he couldn’t take the contents of those new memories the least bit seriously, even if the others did. Everyone was dead or was supposed to be, at least. 

“Everyone….All of us…..We’re dead?!” Tenko said. She took a moment to process it before beginning to panic. 

“It’s like I thought. They really are treating us like criminals...” Ryoma's bitter mood was only heightened by the insulting reveal that Monokuma decided to give them. 

“But it’s not true, is it? It just can’t be! Because if we’re dead, then Himiko is too!” Tenko took a hand to her mouth as she started to think that perhaps those events could actually be true, 

“Maybe we just have different identities now….Like a stage name, maybe.” Himiko compared these new memories to her old experiences as a rookie magician. 

“But those who practice Neo-Aikido don’t have stage names!” Tenko said, but suddenly realized an alternate possibility. “Now that I think about it, I could come up with a stage name after all…”

“It’s also possible that we faked our deaths.”  
Ryoma added “Wouldn’t put it past some of us.” 

“R-Ryoma! Gonta does not believe that we could be that senseless!” Gonta was perplexed by his choice of words 

“If all of us turned out to be criminals, then maybe this situation would make a bit more sense than it does now…” Ryoma said 

“That could be why Monokuma set rules up for us, I suppose.” Angie said 

Rantaro was standing in silence as everyone spoke with bewilderment. Shuichi, who knew the reason for his uneasiness, approached him. He was shaking slightly, clutching his head in confusion as he looked at him with eyes that passed through his head, as if staring into nothing. 

“Rantaro? Why are you shaking?” Shuichi asked him

“....hnng….” Rantaro clutched his head, clenching his teeth in order to brace himself from the pain he felt in his head. “That’s why... I didn’t do it....!”

Even Kaede became aware of this, and attempted to calm him down, since it was her fault that he started to lose himself. 

“Rantaro, Is something happening to you!?” Kaede asked him with concern

Without hesitation, she proceeded to grab him by the shoulders and shake him so that he’d calm down. After a moment, Rantaro relaxed his posture and lowered his head somewhat. 

“I’m fine, it’s nothing to worry about.” Rantaro said, coming back to reality “That thing brought back something in me, but I’m not even sure what.” 

“Don’t scare us like that…” Kaede said, she now looked at the Flashback Light not with curiosity, but with scorn “I should’ve listened to you, I suppose…”

“Perhaps we should have Miu check on him” K1-B0 said “She was studying the previous Flashback Light for any suspicious information, after all.”

Miu herself seemed to be against the idea, her arms crossed. Upon seeing K1-B0’s desperate look, she was forced to concede “Ugh...Fine, I guess I can take him, don’t make a giant fuss about all this….”

Shuichi was willing to accompany him as well, and so he tried to ask Kirumi for a small favor, a moment of freedom. 

“Very well. There was something I needed to do personally as well.” Kirumi agreed to his offer, and let him go. He was still nervous about letting her roam by herself, of course. 

“You are my bodyguard, yet you are not a slave, in fact. It would be ignorant of me to be so forceful.” 

Kirumi chose to remain in the Dining Hall as Shuichi walked away with K1-B0, Miu and a confused Rantaro. 

—-

The meeting was cancelled due to Rantaro’s strong reaction to its contents. Unlike before, there now seemed to be much more discussion surrounding these strange devices. 

To put it bluntly, Shuichi was not glad to be back in her Research Lab. The duo, composed of a robot and an inventor, now had the upper hand on them, compared to last time. He had been sitting down on the surgery chair while Miu and K1-B0 surmised the details of the Flashback Light. Barring Monokuma’s explanation of “restoring memories”, she considered the possibility that Rantaro’s reaction wasn’t a coincidence.

“You’re not hiding any more of these ugly bastards, are you?” Miu asked him, putting up her face close enough to his own to bump his nose. 

“Even if I did, you saw how much confusion it caused us, it’s better to leave them be.” Rantaro said 

“Those devices…..Could they be similar to a “key” that unlocks memories?” K1-B0 asked them

“When I came here, I didn’t remember much about myself. I wouldn’t put it past Monokuma to have altered my memories somehow…” Rantaro said 

“Should I have Kaede return the Flashback Light to him? We won’t have to fight over it in that case.” Shuichi proposed 

“Like I said, I’m fine. You three don’t have to worry about me.” Rantaro said, dissuading their concerns. 

“What was it with ‘you three’?” Miu asked him, getting closer to his face “You’re not leaving me out on purpose, are you?” 

“Even if I say otherwise, you’ve made up your mind already. I’ll just keep quiet.” Rantaro said 

With one eye closed, the victim himself did not feel relieved by Miu’s oppressive remarks. It was a contrasting atmosphere between worry and relief. 

“Did you see anything different, maybe?” Shuichi asked him for a proposal for a different idea.

“I doubt it. You all spoke about the supposed funeral, right? That’s what I saw too. The Flashback Light doesn’t show two sets of memories as far as I know.” Rantaro said 

“Now, now….” Miu said, with a voice as though she was repressing her own anger for the first time “I’ll have you two tell me why the hell you entered my Research Lab, at night, and ran off with that thing like a fucking thief.”

“I have nothing to say, I just wanted to stop this from happening.” Rantaro said 

“And what about you, Pooichi?” Miu asked him accusatively. He was the most guilty of the two. 

“It’s hard to explain, I wasn’t really thinking straight when I did that—“ Shuichi said

“In that case, you two better leave me and K1-B0 to our sweet free time, got it? I don’t want any objections to this!” 

“What does that even mean?” K1-B0 began to blush in colors unbecoming of a robot, or at least, that appeared to be his reaction, if robotic standards were to be understood. 

“This Research Lab is off-limits until you get your shit together, got it?” Miu pointed at them while saying so, accusing them of being perpetrators of an unforgivable crime. 

“M-Miu...I-I’m sorry about the cameras, and about the Flashback Light, too, but can’t you please let this go for a day—-?” Shuichi was asking, but suddenly found himself getting stared at right in the face by Miu. 

“Don’t fucking waste my time anymore. The only person you can talk to here is K1-B0.” Miu said. She turned back as she began to work on a separate project of hers again. 

Rantaro was beginning to recover, and they suspected that he didn’t have much lasting damage from its contents. Unfortunately for them, however, Miu was more than displeased to be seeing them again. 

——

As he headed back to his room, he spotted a rather hostile conversation between Maki and Kokichi, which was unfolding right next to his Dorm Room. 

“You’re such a meanie!” Kokichi complained to her as she confronted him “No one believes me now, they think I’m some sort of liar who cries wolf all the time!”

“Cut it out. You only have yourself to blame for that.” Maki said 

Soon enough, they noticed that Shuichi was eavesdropping on their conversation, and briefly stopped their bickering to acknowledge his presence. 

“Look who came to see us!” Kokichi said happily, as if mocking Maki’s anger “He’s our new friend isn’t he?” He then put a finger to his lips, as though he recalled something “Oh, right! You didn’t go to our meeting yesterday, so you don’t deserve to know about it.”

“Kokichi, let’s not start any new fights around us, okay?” Shuichi asked him

“I don’t care about Kaito’s meeting.” Maki dismissed his claims “He’s trying to get himself killed by gathering people around him.”

“That’s what an anti-social girl like you would say! It’s only fair!” Kokichi said. This caused her hands to tremble slightly, the sign of delayed action which was prevented by her own force of will. Rather than fighting, she simply walked away from him.

“What a brainless girl.” Kokichi said “She knows I’m right so she just leaves...At this rate, Kaito’s little group is going to collapse….It’s sad to see, y’know?”

He merely shrugged it off. 

Seeing as how Maki had left, and Kokichi and Shuichi were left to discuss what they knew amongst each other, the topic shifted slightly, a transition from what he mentioned. 

“That Rantaro is such a loser.” Kokichi complained to him “ Everyone’s stuck in Monokuma’s dumb academy, and he can’t even calm down….Man, he’s sooo hopeless!”

“We’re not sure what happened to him yet, even with missing memories…” Shuichi said 

Kokichi took that chance to jump at his face, startling him like a clown jumping from a toy box. 

“Oh, you do!”

“No, I don’t get it”

“Oh, you do!”

“What are you trying to get at? Don’t make me repeat that so many times…” Shuichi said

Speaking with Kokichi was difficult. He was aware that what he lacked in social skills, he made up for with sheer brain power. 

“And even if you don’t…” Kokichi’s tone shifted to one of curiosity, imploding with joy from within his heart, as though his idea was a revolutionary discovery “...Maybe we could just off him while we still can! He’s done nothing but hide information from us! Think about all we could learn once he’s not getting in our way!” 

The total amount of times he had spoken to him, which he remained unaware of, was much more than he could know. Spotting the moment he let out a lie was getting easier, but his intentions were still ambiguous. 

“No, I won’t agree to that, Kokichi.” Shuichi said, interrupting his speech. It was one thing to humor others with silly jokes, but this was one suggestion too far “Even if the contents of the Flashback Light were fake, it’s wrong to say that his life doesn’t have value.”

“Why? Because of the Ultimate Hunt? Because we’re the only ones left standing out of hundreds of thousands?” Kokichi asked him. 

Another line, another tangent. He could only hope to roll his eyes at his not-so-subtle attempt at derailing the conversation. What he got out of doing so, he couldn’t understand. 

“Kokichi, why did you decide to hang around with us? I mean, you’re not the kind of person to like being around people like me, so why?” Shuichi asked 

“Do I need a reason? K1-B0 listens to his head, so I tried listening to my true feelings!” Kokichi was lying. 

“You’re being too cheesy, that’s for sure…” 

Shuichi was already trying to walk away from the conversation, a move which the other did not take very kindly. 

“Oh, no. You won’t get rid of me just like that. I’m a very resourceful guy, y’know?” Kokichi said. He pointed at the academy in the distance as he kept speaking with Shuichi. “Take the academy, for example, it’s filled with hidden rooms that I can open!”

“But we’ve never actually encountered a locked room before, how do you know that?” 

Kokichi grinned at him “Well, that’s only because I happened to unlock them myself, of course.” 

“Now you’re just lying again, aren’t you?” He had no possible way to know for sure, but it seems he was just wasting his time in trying to find sense in his words. 

“That’s a dangerous deduction..With that kind of logic, I’m surprised you haven’t gotten killed yet.” 

The nonchalant way in which he voiced this made him feel queasy. It sounded like an off-handed comment, but it wasn’t. It sounded like a humorous way to poke fun at him, but it wasn’t. 

Kokichi was provoking him on purpose, and only now did he acknowledge that. 

“I’m….I’m not going to die. It’s not the kind of thing someone like me would go through.”

“Ah, because you’re too important of an ally to just dispose of, right? That kind of thing?”

“If that’s how you want to see it, then yes, that’s right.”

No matter how much they understood each other, and regardless of the circumstances, Kokichi wasn’t letting him go without getting proper answers from him. 

“You better wake up early tomorrow, or I’ll tell everyone you’re a sleepyhead!”

Another day of peace came to an end. 

——

Kaede had the tools that would allow them to progress further and further up the academy, 

Shuichi had seen them. She knew that. But what he failed to consider was that they weren’t ready. 

Glancing at the prizes in her hands, she pondered whether to hide them or keep them a secret for now. For all intents and purposes, they didn’t really “exist” until Monokuma called her out for it, right? Wouldn’t it be possible to stall for time? 

_N-No….If I do that, then it’d be as if I didn’t actually do anything to help….._

Maybe tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow they’d be able to handle it. Rantaro’s condition only made him much more aware of this possibility: That there was more to this situation than meets the eye. 

For one, she kept scratching her head at Monokuma’s insistence of pushing her into the spotlight, even if her role so far had been minor. On the other hand, Shuichi was the one responsible for solving their problems without delay, as if they caused him no issue. 

_I mean, it’s fitting for a pianist like me, huh…?_

She didn’t want to consider it, but maybe she really was just an assistant after all. It’s what everyone else would expect out of her. Remaining uninvolved wouldn’t be an issue. If she could lower everyone’s burden by just a tiny amount, then it was a weight off her shoulders that she didn’t need.

Yes, this was the best outcome for her. She wouldn’t ask for anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll be honest: This chapter was written almost three months ago, so my writing quality here can be a bit different to how it is now. I’ll be taking a look through earlier chapters and update them a bit where I see fit, but not too much. (Including or perhaps not including bits and pieces of foreshadowing, maybe?)
> 
> PD: For any Re:Zero fans reading this, it’s mostly a DR-centric story, but now that I’m actually caught up with the WN, I could probably add a reference here and there. Like I mentioned in a previous comment, I’m taking a few creative liberties to make the story more interesting, so I encourage you to check out the original if you liked this story. 
> 
> What developments could arise from this situation? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, everyone’s getting prepared to suffer ;)
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


	25. Chapter 3: Lockdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to not leave you all in suspense (or maybe, even more so?) I’ve decided to post another chapter alongside the previous one! Think of these two as the “prologue” to what the rest of this section has to offer.... *Laughs with evil intent* :)

The sight of the Love Key lying on his bedside was his first indicator that things had not gone awry just yet. His room remained untouched, and his hat was right where he had left it, tucked away in his room. 

Even though he had decided to make a personal change in himself, it wasn’t an instant process at all. He had a hard time accepting his more active role in the group, since most of the students were worried about him now. 

Looking at the ceiling, he closed his eyes and attempted to return to his peaceful sleep. 

Ding. Ding. 

Shuichi sighed as he guessed who was waiting for him to exit his room. He covered his ears and laid down on his bed again in an attempt to have his distractor leave. 

Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.

Really, this was the worst time for them to be doing this. Finally getting some good night’s sleep, and it gets ruined by the morning wake-up call of a madman. 

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding—-!

“Kokichi, Monokuma’s Morning Announcement hasn’t played yet, could you give me a moment?” Shuichi pleaded for him to let him leave. His appearance was disastrous, that of someone who had overslept rather than being incapable of resting at all. 

But behind him were the familiar figures of Kaede, Kaito and Maki. They were quite upset at Kokichi’s idea for an interruption, but decided to let it pass, since Shuichi was now free. 

“Good morning, I hope you rested well.” Kaede noticed his unkempt clothes, and regretted her turn of phrase “Or maybe too well?”

“He’s taking it easy because of what Monokuma said. I doubt Kirumi let you rest for that entire day, y’know?” Kaito said 

“Is that why you decided to come meet me here earlier than usual?” 

“This only happened because Kaito happened to suggest it.” Maki said 

“I see Shuichi’s been slacking on the job recently, though I can’t say I blame him.” Kokichi said jokingly “Work’s boring now since no one’s dropped dead yet, right?”

“That’s not happening. We’ll just keep him away from Kirumi, and that’s that.” Kaito said, lightly punching Kokichi in the abdomen for his comment.

Kaede remained thoughtful of their surroundings, however. “Speaking of that….Where is Kirumi, actually?” 

Yesterday, he had been mindful enough to arrive at her Research Lab on his own, yet he agreed that it seemed strange for someone so insistent on working together with him to suddenly vanish like that. 

Is it possible that she went ahead and began to investigate the fourth floor already?

“Wherever she is, she didn’t tell me. I’m not sure she’d do that at all, in fact.” Shuichi said 

“Oh, maybe she went ahead and decided to meet in——“ 

As Kaede spoke, she glanced at Kokichi and Maki, suddenly falling silent. This stretch of time was cut-off abruptly by a different set of reactions from her, which surprised him. 

“Ah, I forgot to mention: There’s a new Research Lab outside too! Want to check it out?” Kaede asked him

“I’d be glad to, but….” Shuichi’s eyes indicated that he felt bad about leaving Kirumi behind like that, even if he wasn’t doing it willingly. 

“It’s a difficult situation, I know, but we can’t leave you alone like that…” Kaede said

“If we’re all just going to fight over Shuichi’s body, let’s take turns doing so!” Kokichi proposed 

“D-Don’t phrase it like that!” Kaito and Kaede confronted Kokichi to the point his face was left without privacy. 

“He’s probably talking about splitting our time into shifts, is that right?” Maki glanced at Kokichi, who was pretending like the previous conversation hadn’t occurred. 

“I’m not against the idea, but which of you would come with me first?” Shuichi asked 

Kaede was preoccupied with handling the search inside the new floor. Kaito didn’t actually get to train properly this time, so he was probably focused on that now. Kokichi? As much as he disliked the way he treated him, he knew that he always had other plans in mind. 

That only left one other candidate in mind, at least as a start. 

“I’ll do it” Maki said.

“A-Are you sure about this, Maki? I can handle this on my own if you don’t want to—-“ 

“Do you think I can’t do it?” 

Her words cut through Shuichi’s speech as though a blade had been sliced across his tongue. It forced him into silence. 

“I see….That’s what I thought.” Maki replied nonchalantly “I’ll be waiting outside, so don’t take too long.” 

“There she goes, deciding things all by herself, isn’t that cute?”

Kaito let out an annoyed breath after hearing Kokichi’s remarks, having both of them discuss something amongst each other while Kaede accompanied him to the exit, staying behind. 

—— 

The Courtyard was not as empty as it once had been. The new duo, composed of Shuichi and Maki, were exploring the newly opened areas of the academy. 

Whatever Kirumi was up to, he was relieved to be at peace for once. As they walked side by side, he got the impression that her opinion of him had changed since the first time they had been properly introduced. 

She hadn’t said a word. Her silence was only the beginning of his concerns, after all, since he had no way of knowing just what kind of person she was at her core. 

“I…..Knew about it, Maki. Your background, I mean.”

“I know.” 

Shuichi was surprised to see that her response was so firm after all. To be able to speak with her so casually, even now, felt undeserved. 

“Back then, you were so desperate to stop me, it was hard to take it any other way” Maki said 

“What were you thinking of doing?” Shuichi asked her

“You must’ve known about it yourself, since you knew where I was, too.” Maki said

Her eyes trailed off into the route in front of them, as if avoiding that topic entirely. 

It was common knowledge, in part due to Kokichi spilling the beans, that Maki’s true identity was that of the Ultimate Assassin. None of the others knew what she was capable of, and due to the way some of their Talents had been exaggerated, there was room for doubt in their eyes. 

Having said that, he happened to think about why exactly she’d want to do something like that in the first place. 

“You….You don’t dislike Kaede, do you?” Shuichi asked her 

Kaede does seem to dislike her whole-heartedly, that’s for certain….

“She’s done nothing useful since we came here, I have no reason to dislike her personally.” Maki said 

She had only spoken words, but her tone and choice of words hurt him deeply. He knew how much Kaede had struggled to bond with them after Maki was thrown into the mix as their enemy, and none of them were aware of it. 

It was true, as a matter of fact, that the person known as Kaede Akamatsu was not an active leader anymore. She had taken on the role of his close-friend and embraced it fully without a care in the world. 

Then again, she had no reason to act up on her ideals, since Shuichi was doing all the work for her since the first day. Stealing the spotlight did more harm than good, he believed. 

Ah, this place, too…..

As the two of them walked together, they came across the Casino Area, passing it by. Though he was aware of who ´Maki Harukawa, the Ultimate Caregiver´ was, this was the place in which he first became aware of just who she really was. 

To be honest...Even now, it's still making me shiver just from thinking about it... 

“Kaito doesn’t know how to choose hiding spots, everyone always knows about them..”

Given how her secret was leaked out no matter what he did, he wondered if she really was right about her assumptions. Shuichi wanted to ask her about the conversation which kept happening between Kaito and herself, but chose to keep his head where it belonged rather than lose it by wandering into a forbidden topic. 

Once they went far enough, Maki stopped following, stopped with an abrupt motion, and began to trace her own path again. 

“Maki? Weren’t we supposed to—“ 

‘Keep walking for a bit longer?’ Shuichi was about to pronounce those words, but they were unable to leave his mouth after all. 

“This is as far as I go. Kokichi will take it from here, I think” She looked back at him while walking away. 

“You’ve decided on your turns already?” Shuichi asked her

“It’s me first, then Kokichi, then Kaede, and Kaito for last. He hates taking responsibility for ideas like these…” She only stopped once to remind him of this fact, and continued onwards to her destination. 

Unlike what he initially assumed, Shuichi’s trip with Maki had taken almost an hour, which was masked by the silence she displayed during the initial phase of their journey. In this academy, it was very easy to lose track of time due to the lack of clocks on the walls, the only indication that time had passed were the Morning Announcements. 

And if that wasn´t enough, the amount of times Shuichi had been looping around the same few days only confused his sense of progress. At times, it wasn´t uncommon for him to desire mentioning events that didn't happen. But he couldn´t. No matter how hard he tried to do so, he simply couldn't say it. 

Though Shuichi was not fortunate enough to be updated on their plans, he wasn’t looking forward to his reunion with Kokichi. Rather, it would be best if he tried to avoid him after all.  
In doing so, he mindlessly walked into a building that was not there in the previous days, and entered the room. 

_Yes, the faster I can get away from Kirumi and Kokichi, it could be my chance to finally have a shred of——-_

“Oh, I didn’t think you’d be brave enough to come here, sleepyhead!” 

Someone called out to him. He didn’t want to recognize that person as being there, yet they stood not far from the entrance regardless, as though they wanted him to acknowledge his presence. 

“Heeeey! I’m right in front of you, y’know?” Kokichi said, making an attempt to get closer to his face. 

“I...I know that, I really do…” Shuichi said 

Their conversation was interrupted by the loud practice unfolding in the center of the room, and which Kokichi was blocking his view of. 

“Hiyah! Hiyah! Hah!” Tenko shouted out 

Not only did her demeanor improve into a much cockier variant, her appearance too had changed into a different one. She sported a white gi and a black belt, showcasing her talents as an Aikido-Master. 

The room itself resembled an arena from a traditional karate tournament, Shuichi noted, and a large statue, right at the end of it, moved on its own accord like a puppet. Below them was a chasm which he refused to look into, having a good idea for what was to occur if he did. 

“Impressive, huh?” Tenko boasted her skill as she got into a battle position, one hand in front and the other behind her back “I can take on anyone with just this! I don't need a proper dojo to take on anyone I want!” 

In the audience, Tsumugi was watching her training unfold. “I didn’t think Tenko could fight like that….Neo-Aikido’s more than just a cool technique, isn’t it?”

“Just you wait! Everyone will forget about Angie’s show after my training’s finished!” Tenko proudly exclaimed as she performed an air kick. 

As Tenko continued her training in a trance-like state, Shuichi lightly tapped Tsumugi’s shoulder to catch her attention “Do you like karate?” 

Tsumugi shushed him, wary of Tenko being within earshot “Don’t make fun of Neo-Aikido in front of her, she’s been at it since this morning and hasn’t stopped since. Do you want to die? Or maybe, you’re already dead, I suppose…”

“Oh yeah? Guess again” Kokichi said, getting in between the two “Maybe you’d like it if she made us drop dead, don’t you?”

“K-Kokichi…! I was talking about his lack of self-confidence, of course!” Tsumugi made a pouting face at Kokichi, who laughed at her

Shuihci felt like he was beginning to get the point, but chose to ignore it. Did it really seem as though there wasn't any difference in his behavior from the outside? 

“I see you two are somewhat busy, so we’ll leave for now…” Shuichi said

“Ah, Himiko trailed off to the academy after going here, too….” Tsumugi said as she looked back at Tenko. She was getting increasingly pissed off by her comments. 

“One day, one day they’ll see how great I am as a Neo-Aikido Master!” Tenko shouted out

It’s time to leave now, I suppose….

Shuichi left Tenko’s Research Lab while Tsumugi stayed behind. Of course, he was followed by an excited Kokichi, who seemed determined to turn his day into hell. 

“Since this is *my* turn, and Monokuma’s eager to give us new prizes, let’s go to the new floor!”

“Ah, the one you spoke about yesterday, right?” 

“Of course! That’s how it always is!” Kokichi said in excitement

The two of them headed for the academy, in order to search the new floors available. Shuichi thought of reaching out to Maki to get rid of him once and for all, but she was nowhere to be seen. In fact, it could be said that the Courtyard was uncharacteristically lonely, though looking for the others wasn’t his first priority at the moment. 

It’s likely that most of them are in the academy, anyway….

Even if they traced the same path that Shuichi had once walked through so many times, their journey only added more steps to the mix. Unlike last time, it seems as though this particular change was on a much grander scale. 

Kokichi walked up the stairs as Shuichi followed, and were faced with a pitch-black hallway. Without hesitating, the former simply trotted into the new area, while Shuichi himself became uneasy as to what this meant. 

Fortunately, there were some candles lined up on the walls, not far from where they started. Their newly improved vision rewarded them with the sight of a fragile floor, and an eerie atmosphere. 

“Oooh, this is starting to look like a haunted house, isn't it?” Kokichi looked back at him, 

He grabbed a candle, which had been placed on the walls, and waved it at him. “Your haunted house is the worst, Monokuma! It’s supposed to be entirely dark to begin with!”

“The others must be trying to walk around in the dark, let’s return the candle where it belongs, alright?” Shuichi tried to pry the candle away from him, but he kept moving the base around, making him flinch. 

The detective got the feeling that he wasn’t actually being guarded by him at all. If anything, Shuichi had become the temporary babysitter of a very stubborn child. 

“You’re making this attraction boring for me, but I get it. I won’t get mad if you pee your pants from fear!” He held back his laughter as he grinned at him 

“N-No one’s peeing here! That’s just something you made up on the spot!” His hurried tone was bursting with embarrassment as he tried to cover the words that were just spoken. 

Their voices echoed out into the darkness, and were heard by individuals who approached from the distance. 

“Ahh...why is this hallway so dark? I can’t see anything…”

“If there was a torch anywhere, I’d be able to light up the room, nyeeh....”

As Kokichi swiped the candle in front of them, the two figures backed away. These voices belonged to Kaede Akamatsu and Himiko Yumeno, who had been walking from the other side of the hallway. 

However, Kokichi’s careless movements revealed the silhouettes of Korekiyo Shinguji and Kirumi Tojō. In total, there were currently six students inside of that passage. 

“Huh? What are you guys doing here?” Kokichi asked them

“I believe I have the same question for you two, in all honesty.” Kirumi said 

“What else did you expect? Everyone deserves to know about the new floor” Kaede said 

“However, I cannot allow you to traverse this place any further. It is much more than a simple addition, I fear…” Kirumi said 

“You’re going to let them in, especially because of what we talked about yesterday, right?” Kaede asked her for confirmation

That was enough for Kirumi to remain silent, and for Shuichi to be granted passage to the rest of the floor. She bowed her head in agreement, but he knew that was out of reluctance, in part. 

The two of them spoke to each other yesterday? About what?

This scenario resembled a particular pattern between Kirumi and Kaede in the second-to-last iteration of events. The latter had gotten closer to the maid in an attempt to get her to open up, but was that all there was to it? 

“The initial exploration of this floor was completed by us this morning” Korekiyo said, standing behind Kaede and beside Himiko, who was confused by all this “As for the others, I have but the vaguest idea about their whereabouts….”

Korekiyo asked as he looked around. Counting all of them currently there, six students were present. For what seemed to be a completely new floor, this lack of curiosity was strange. 

“Ryoma’s here, he was probably waiting near the entrance for everyone else to get here.” Kaede took a moment before continuing to speak again. There was no denying that the attention was nice “Angie wanted to speak with Rantaro about his sudden breakdown. And that’s why I came here, too..” 

Angie speaking with Rantaro can’t be anything good, knowing her track record…..

“Did any of you see Kaito or Maki come up here a few hours ago?” Shuichi asked them

“Tsumugi told me about a ‘meeting’ they were having in Miu’s Research Lab” Himiko mentioned, remembering past events “She was supposed to tell everyone, but she liked Tenko’s training a little too much…”

To her words, Kaede and Korekiyo decided to step into the light and proceed to the lower floors, but were blocked by Kokichi. 

“No, no! We’re not going back now! Not until we get the complete haunted house experience!” 

Kokichi kept complaining about it, stomping his feet on the floor like a spoiled brat. 

Korekiyo shook his head “This floor can be explored at any time. It is imperative to find out where everyone is. We need everyone to gather in the same place to strategize”

“Don’t get in our way, Kokichi. This isn’t even that scary of a place, anyway” Kaede said 

Kirumi put a hand on Kaede’s shoulder, indicating her to back away from the conflict. 

““It would be for the best if someone were to seek out answers for our predicament” 

Maybe it was her way of stating it, but it was clear that she was not, in fact, speaking to Kaede as she uttered those words. 

That’s….An order for me isn’t it?....

Shuichi reluctantly walked away from the group and headed for the stairs, which led to the lower floors. Kaede and Korekiyo were confused by his sudden compliance, but let him go. As usual, Kokichi was disappointed that someone was leaving after all. 

The academy was slowly becoming taller and taller by their progress, so Shuichi wasn’t content with this process taking so much time. After a couple of minutes, he finally reached the entrance to the academy but was instead greeted by an unnerving sight. 

“Urk! This is looking bad….”

Ryoma Hoshi, the one they had spoken about earlier, was standing with slouched arms as he faced the enemy in front of him. Such a foe could only be someone of an incredible caliber…...

“Bwahahaha! There you are! I’m going to blast you to pieces!” 

A primal fear awoke in Shuichi as he immediately backed down from where he stood and ran for the stairs. The blue Exisal towered over Shuichi as it raised its weapons and aimed them at him. Ryoma performed a flash-step as he pulled him out of its range. 

Not wanting to perish, they escaped from the scene and tried to call for help from above. Soon enough, their chaotic confrontation called the attention of Angie and Rantaro, who had been walking in their direction. 

With Shuichi and Ryoma on the left, and Rantaro and Angie on the right side, having arrived from the Gym, all of them were surprised by this sudden interruption. . 

Entertained due to their presence, Monokid moved the exisal’s arm to strike against Rantaro, only barely dodging such a strike. From the other end, Shuichi narrowly dodged Monosuke’s vicious arm, which came ever closer to him. 

“H-Hey! What’s going on down here?!”

This time, the rest of the students they had spoken to decided to figure out the meaning behind this chaos. They all stood at the very end of the stairs, however, rather than intervene directly. 

“Took you long enough to get here! I was starting to die from boredom!” 

Yet another visitor appeared from behind Ryoma, startling him into a battle stance. He made sure to catch their attention before proceeding with the usual instructions, yet it was all fun and games to him. 

It was none other than Monokuma, who had been waiting for them to gather in one place. 

“Why is that Exisal here!?” Kaede shouted out at him while trying to look for cover. The machine was too close for comfort, and she wasn't having it. 

Monokuma laughed to himself as he found Kaede’s question nothing but hilarious “Very well! I’ll explain your situation, so listen closely, everyone!” 

He repeatedly punched the exisal beside him as he explained “These exisals will be blocking the exits from now on! You’re not allowed to enter or leave the academy, so that’s too bad for you!” 

W—-What?! He can’t be trying to say that—-We’re trapped here?!

After Monokuma made his announcement, everyone began to panic, but out of all of them, Shuichi was the most concerned. Being away from half of the group already meant that he couldn’t possibly persuade them in any way from doing anything reckless. 

“You’re a lucky bunch, the eight of you!” Monokuma said “Because I’ll be supervising the academy! The other three Monokubs are blocking the entrance to the academy as we speak!” 

“But there’s still one more monokub missing, isn’t there?” Angie asked 

Heavy sounds of slamming and trotting echoed around the room. Its noise was loud enough to be heard even from far away. Ten seconds passed, and then it ceased. Another Exisal, bearing a yellow hue, was standing at the other end of the entrance. 

The students were completely surrounded by exisals, no matter where they looked. All that was left was to unravel it somehow, if Monokuma was open to answering questions again. 

“And what are we supposed to do now? Give up?” Kaede confronted him

“Nope! There’s a special condition for this scenario!” Monokuma said “If some of you cave to your desperations and end a fellow student’s life, I’ll allow the exisals to retreat!” 

“That can’t be all there is to it. Explain yourself, Monokuma.” Rantaro said 

“Very well, very well! You don’t have to pressure me like that!” Monokuma said, but lowered his head in embarrassment “You’re right, there’s another catch to this situation as well!”

Raising his paws in excitement, he continued speaking “All of you have been nothing but lazy brats who can’t follow directions, so I thought it was necessary to amp up my rule-making, don’t you think?”

“Will you add an additional rule like you had done the last time?” Kirumi asked

“Yup! You’re exactly right!” Monokuma said as he pointed his paw at her “I suppose you don’t have your Monopads any longer, so you’ll just have to burn these new rules into your brains!”

“The Body Discovery Announcement will not play until all bodies have been discovered!” Monokuma announced. 

“All of them? What’s that supposed to mean?” Kaede asked him

“Simply put, I am open to the possibility that some of you are riddled with an intense, inescapable bloodlust. It’s only natural, for teenagers like you, of course…” Monokuma said

“Blood….lust…?“ Shuichi said in shock

“In adjustment to the atmosphere of this Killing Game, I’ve decided to be more lenient on the decisions you decide to make. Whether they make me die of boredom again, or it develops into an eventual disaster, that’s for me to find out, isn’t it?”

“In other words, were the culprit´s plan exposed against their desires, they would remain safe from onlookers if another student had died, am I correct?”

“But----But that would mean that more than one student can get killed here!” Shuichi could not believe what he was hearing. Everything had been undone in mere seconds, after all. 

To be honest, Shuichi had already seen something to that extent, even if the others had not. During the loop where Maki had suffocated him, two other victims had lost their lives in an attempt to escape from her: Kokichi and Kaede. And right after that, both he and Ryoma had lost their lives in the struggle. 

“You´re looking at it too plainly, it's making me gag!” Monokuma pressed his own stomach, imitating the motions of someone letting out their inner fluids without the results “Maybe someday, you´ll realize that there´s more to this Killing Game than just solving murder mysteries, you detective bastard!” 

Shuichi didn´t know whether to feel insulted or to disprove his claim outright. It was too much, it really was too much. 

Even after Monokuma left, the exisal did not. It remained in place, carefully watching all of their movements. Exhausting Monokid was not an option, since he was a robot. 

Korekiyo eyed the machine like a hawk, though his gaze dropped slightly “This exisal is quite troublesome...Most of my enjoyment of this academy came from the scenery alone. Such a shame this is…” 

“Let’s try hitting it once!” Kokichi instantly proposed, raising his hand like a child. Even if it was a request, he did not wait for permission, and tried to punch the exisal as Monokuma had done a moment ago. 

Suddenly, there was an earthquake. 

Or was it perhaps the sound of his eardrums shattering? It became hard to grasp such a concept in a mere instant. He looked around in search for answers but found the scene just as it had been in the blink of an eye. 

“Kokichi….What’re you trying to get yourself into…?”

Ryoma said this weakly, as he collapsed next to the exisal. Everyone stared in shock, even Kokichi, at the one who had just saved him. 

“R-Ryoma! Are you alright?” Shuichi tried to reach out for him, but Rantaro caught his hand before it could get too close in range. 

“We can’t let this happen again. Ryoma’s going to get up by himself, see?” Rantaro said

As if on cue, Ryoma once again began to move his body in response, standing up from his fallen position. There were no crimson stains on the floor, to Shuichi’s relief, but the former was too exhausted for it to make a difference. In the place Kokichi had stood, however, there was a small crater with smoke blowing out of it. 

Angie and Kaede helped him remain stable on his feet, as he closed his eyes. They grabbed him by his shoulders so he wouldn’t collapse.

“How much time did you spend fighting that thing?” Kaede asked him

“You suckers won’t last a day here with that kinda loser stamina!” Monosuke mocked them from the other end of the hallway. 

The culprit, Monokid, did not respond properly, he was merely chuckling to himself at the sight of their failure. 

Ryoma let out a sigh “Seems like I was the first to find out about this, huh?”

Such a strong person showing signs of tiredness was unprecedented, Shuichi noticed. It could be said that there were traces of up to thirty minutes of constant fighting, regarding he started as soon as Kokichi and himself began to climb the stairs for the first time. 

“This is too suspicious….one of us could’ve planned this in advance, couldn’t they?” Kokichi asked 

“You´re in no position to talk. You almost got Ryoma killed too…” Kaede said 

“The only possible suspects are the monokubs, that is Atua’s proposal” Angie said 

Himiko was thinking about something else entirely. Even if Ryoma had been saved without much harm done, enigmas still remained. “What happened to everyone else? Did Monokuma just make them vanish with magic dust?”

That, indeed, was a good question to ask, because right outside of the academy, a similar catastrophe was unfolding…...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it seems the Exisals have taken a more active stance in making the other students begin to panic, aren’t they? I’ve always wondered why they didn’t try to do something like this in canon DR, but that’s just how it is, I guess…
> 
> What’s happening on the outside? Why were most of the students absent from the academy? Next chapter will hopefully explain that, as well as make this situation spicier and spicier. Even when they live, they live to suffer, and that’s a shame.
> 
> Thanks For Reading!


End file.
